General Military Operations, chapters 8-10 from E.B. Quiner's Military History of Wisconsin (Chicago, 1866)

              FIGHT  AT  STRAWBERRY  PLAINS. 295
thi'ce miles from Harper's Ferry, with orders to march in pursuit of General Early, in Pennsylvania.
The result of operations in Maryland and Pennsylvania, secured the organization of a force under General Sheridan for the defence of the Shenandoah Valley, consisting of the Sixth Corps, and Nineteenth Corps, General Crook's division of infantry, and eav- alr}- under General Torbert, and four brigades of Hunter's cavalry. The Sixth Corps, in which the Fifth AVisconsin (reorganized) was brigaded, remained in service, under General Sheridan, in the valley until about the first of December, when it rejoined the army before Petersburg.
During these operations in Maryland, the army of General Grant remained comparatively quiet before Petersburg. The firing beiug principally on the right and centre, where General Grant's lines were pushed steadily forward, the enemy's batteries, and also the city, were pertinaciously shelled.
In the latter part of July, General Grant's lines extended a dis¬ tance of twenty miles. The Second Corps was transferred ft-om the trenches before Petersburg to the north side of the James River, about the 27th of July. Line of battle was formed with Sheridan's cavalry on the extreme right, the Second Corps next, at Strawberiy Plains, a brigade of the Nineteenth on its left, and General Foster on the extreme left. The position of the enemy was in front of the Second Corps, occupying rifle pits, defended by one battery. The Second Corps advancecf' upon them, and General Allies' brigade, under cover, flanked the whole position under a brisk charge. The enemy retreated, losing their guns and some prisoners. A cavalry battle took place the next day. Four hundred supply wagons were sent across the pontoon bridge, ap¬ parently for an advance on Alalvern Hill. A considerable force was sent by the enemy, from Petersburg, to oppose any advance. After this transfer of troops by the enemy, the Second Corps and the cavalry very quietly returned to Petersburg. This move was made to decoy the forces of the enemy from Petersburg, in order to explode a mine under one of the enemy's heaviest works.
The plan was to explode the mine, and immediately after open a cannonading from every gun on the lines. Under cover of this tire a storming party was to rush through the gap made by the