High Steaks

On the 26th of October, Lieutenant Adams with a detail of men, and Quartermaster-Sergeant Dyer, started for Washington, D. C., to get a gun to replace the one lost at the Battle of Balls Bluff, Va., on the 21st instant.

On the 3 1 st, Lieutenant Bloodgood with his section returned to Poolesville camp, the battery being relie v ed from guard duty at the Monocacy aqueduct. Captain Vaughn having recovered from the sickness caused by over exertion in buryi n g the dead at Ball's Bluff, drilled the men at the manual of the piece.

One day, while the battery was doing picket duty at Monocacy, the lieutenant in command of the section was standin g in front of his tent cleaning his pistol and the men were lounging about camp. The guard on the lookout across the Potomac for signals reported all quiet. A steer came running down from over the hill, and, when in front of the officers ' quarters, on seeing the lieutenant, stopped and faced him. Quick as a flash the lieutenant raised his pistol and fired. The steer dropped. On hearing the report of the pistol the men rushed out towards the lieutenan t s quarters to see what the firing was for, and saw the steer lying on the ground kicking. Several of the m e n who were first upon the scene quickly took in the situation. John Arnold rushed up to the steer and cut its throat. Others took up the tarpaulin from the limber and covered it up, and, seating themselves on the tarpaulin began to deal cards around for a game. It was not many minutes after the firing of the pistol when one of the neighboring farmers came over the hill from the direction the steer came and passed the men at card playing, entered the camp and inquired if any one had seen a steer pass that way, at the same time looking about the grounds. He was told that one had been seen going in the direction of the river. He left the camp, again passing the men at card playing, going in the direction indicated, and was soon out of sight. The men then dragged the steer to the woods where it was dressed and cut up, the offal buried, and in less than thirtv minutes all traces of the steer had vanished, and there only remained what was supposed to be government beef, upon which the men feasted while it lasted, not forgetting to send some of the choice cuts to the lieutenant ' s table.