Ulysses S. Grant was once suspected of not writing his own memoirs

For many years, there have been persistent rumors that Ulysses S. Grant did not totally pen his own memoirs. Many highly intelligent people believe that Grant's clear prose is actually the consequence of Mark Twain's editing touch, according to Ta-Nehisi Coates, who debunked the myth in a February 2012 essay for The Atlantic.

But the assertion is false. Grant wrote the full original book by hand, and it is still available today. Twain started writing even though he was not actively working on the project. Grant had already given permission for a publishing house to produce the book, but no official agreement had been made.

Grant was attempting to compile a memoir of his military career by expanding on the essays he was writing on the numerous engagements he had fought in during the Civil War. The Century Company agreed to offer Grant ten percent of all sales following the completion of the book as part of the original arrangement. Twain was horrified by the offer when he realized how little Grant would make from book sales. He thought he might get Grant a better deal from him.