Lesley.] 35Q [March, 



Mr. Lesley presented for the Cabinet, a specimen ball of 

 sea-grass, and described the manner in which multitudes of 

 similar balls, of all sizes, are manufactured by the waves, 

 upon the shores of Nice. 



Mr. Lesley then read a communication, which he had re- 

 ceived from Mr. R. Pearsall Smith, of Philadelphia, in reply 

 to inquiries, which he had made, respecting the published 

 county maps of the United States. 



His own attention had been called to the subject anew, and very 

 forcibly, by the difficulties he had lately encountered in obtaining a 

 map of Cumberland County, at the county seat, Carlisle. At the 

 last invasion of the State, preceding the battle of Gettysburg, the 

 advance guard of the rebels swept the Great Valley clean of all its 

 county maps ; those of Franklin and those of Cumberland. The 

 same fate befell those of Adams County. For a day or two, not a 

 map of the seat of war was to be obtained at Harrisburg for the use 

 of the Governor and his staff. General Couch had but a single copy 

 at his headquarters. An order on Philadelphia could only be filled 

 by sending out a special agent, who succeeded, at great personal risk, 

 in procuring one or two of each county. Judge Watts, of Carlisle, 

 informed me that the maps were torn hastily from the walls of the 

 farmers' houses, and sent with the horses and other valuables for 

 safety, over the North Mountain, into the Juniata Valley. The 

 rebel visitation was very complete ; he thought it likely that not a 

 single house had been overlooked. The sack of the Valley would 

 have been most disastrous, but for the want of rolling stock on the 

 railroad. What they carried oflP was on their backs. The two en- 

 gines and trains which took the Pennsylvania troops up to the front 

 at Chambersburg, were telegraphed back so exactly at the right time, 

 that they had passed Scotland Station but four minutes before the 

 Rebel cavalry dashed in from the south to cut them off. 



A rebel general is understood to have made a reconnoissance of 

 these counties previous to the invasion under the guise of a map- 

 peddler, and while selling some of a more general character, no doubt 

 bought up county maps to be used in the invasion. 



It is known that the bureau at Washington was robbed of many 

 unique county maps before the rebellion broke out. When General 

 McClellan advanced upon Richmond, but one copy of the map of 

 Henrico County could be procured. The rebel leaders had secured, 



