Grant Did Grant say this?

[Belfoured]

It's not Grant writing that, and that is also not an account written by an objective observer. He was a confederate.

So no, it's not really apparent that Grant said that.

Agree. And even assuming that Gibson's hearsay account in December 1861 is accurate, so what. The statement was made at a time when it was consistent with the Administration's official position and after the Administration had to "walk back" premature steps by Butler and Fremont. Grant was hardly in a position to state a contrary view. Gibson also did not include the facially absurd assertion that Grant said he would have "offered [his] sword to the other side". Finally, Gibson added that he didn't actually believe the Federals' protestations of their intentions. Much ado about nothing.

 

[Canadian]

"There are only two sides now, traitors and patriots," said Grant at the beginning of the war, adding that he wished to be one of the latter.