ABSTRACT
The measure that Thomas Jefferson took to obtain a profile of the army is shown upon the roster, dated July 24, 1801. Meriwether Lewis was a hometown boy whom Jefferson had known since childhood. He had received some conventional grammar–school education with classical overtones, and had absorbed a greater than average interest in natural history. Jefferson ordered a copy of Alexander Mackenzie's book, probably receiving it in the summer of 1802. In reviewing the wording of Jefferson's first letter, offering Lewis the post of secretary, perhaps we have been paying attention to the wrong phrase. An intelligent young officer who had travelled as far as Kentucky could be useful, especially if he were someone long known and trusted by Jefferson. Lewis seemed born to rise, in the agricultural-mercantile circles of Virginia, and he chose one of the most routinely travelled routes: a career in the United States army.
