i think that the concensus is that grant did it to ensure support for his wife after his death, which to me shows that he was very good man (and his actions in the civil war, and after, back this up).
i've read about half of his book, which can be quite funny in places. but relies (naturally) on some detailed appreciation of the geography of the battlefields, and geography has ever been my least favourite area of knowledge, so i had to give it up.
That's interesting, he must have had a great mind for visualizing geography, as evidenced in part by his detailed description of it in his accounts years later. That mixed with his logistical expertise (he was a quartermaster in the Mexican War) would make him a very formidable general.
i've read about half of his book, which can be quite funny in places. but relies (naturally) on some detailed appreciation of the geography of the battlefields, and geography has ever been my least favourite area of knowledge, so i had to give it up.