If it is a direct, verbatim quotation of the actual person's writings, which were written by an involved person contemporaneously with the question under discussion, it is a primary source. Diaries, letters from participants, court testimony, census records - any first person account is a primary source. "On Tuesday, Johnny shot at me."
A secondary source would be a non witness recounting, such as a newspaper story, or someone relating something not personally participated in. For example, a footnoted text. "Last Tuesday, it was reported by Joe Doe that John Smith shot at him."
A tertiary source would be someone claiming that a second person told them about something the second person ALSO didn't have first hand knowledge of, all without primary documentation. "My friend, Miss Grey, said that she read that John Smith once shot at Joe Doe."
Just watched History Channels, Sherman’s March. Any comments? I thought a much better effort should have been made. I loath the rehashing of what was said earlier, after a commercial break. Time that could have been spent in better detail.