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George Graham, lawyer and noted early American government official who served in a variety of key posts at pivotal moments in U.S. history. Born in Dumfries, Prince William County, Virginia, he graduated from Columbia College in 1790. He represented his county in the Virginia General Assembly and commanded the Fairfax Light Horse during the War of 1812. James Monroe appointed Graham chief clerk of the War Department in 1814, and he served as acting Secretary of War from October 16, 1816, to December 9, 1817. In 1815 he was appointed a member of a commission to treat with the British regarding the settlement of the War of 1812. A multi-faceted public servant, he was known for expertise in many areas. In 1818 he was sent on a secret mission to Texas to deal with Napoleonic exiles in the Champ d'Asile on the Trinity River. After arriving at Galveston via a smuggler's boat, he took the opportunity to examine the Texas coast on the behalf of the United States and consulted with Jean Laffite.
