THE PERSONAL MEMOIRS OF ULYSSES S. GRANT: On this day in 1885, Ulysses Grant died at the age of 63, essentially penniless. Only a few days before he had completed his final task—writing his memoirs. Those memoirs would soon make his widow a wealthy woman. And that is exactly what he had been praying for.

Grant had been diagnosed with throat cancer not quite a year before his death. In order to run for President, he had forfeited his military pension, and a series of bad investments had left the Grant family in a dire financial condition. So he feverishly set about to write his memoirs so that his beloved Julia would be supported after his death. Mark Twain, an admirer of Grant, arranged for a book contract on very favorable terms to the former President.

The book was a hit, and Twain’s marketing strategy on behalf of Grant’s family was shrewd. Union army veterans flocked to buy it.

Historians, although enthusiastic about his literary talent, are sometimes surprised to find themselves praising Grant as possibly the best book-length author among the nation’s Presidents. They should not be. Those who knew Grant knew that he was a wonderful storyteller with a detailed memory for the events of the Civil War and much else. They weren’t in the least surprised at his ability to put it all down on paper.

Yes, the book is still available.

(p.s. these days former Presidents seem to do pretty well financially. There is no need to worry about penniless widows, widowers, or starving Presidential offspring.  Obama’s net worth has been estimated at $40 million. The Clintons have made $240 million since leaving the White House.  George W. Bush has been estimated to come in a little behind Obama, which may be surprising to some given that, unlike Obama and Clinton, he was born to wealth.)