Little-Known Facts About First Barbary War: Meriwether Lewis

Meriwether Lewis was Thomas Jefferson's  private secretary and the only other occupant of the White House.  Before becoming private secretary, Lewis had been a captain in the Army of the West.  His grandfather and Jefferson's father had a shared past.

Shortly after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, Jefferson chose him along with his friend, William Clark, to lead an expedition to explore and map the newly acquired land of the western United States.

--Cooter