Just as before, they moved south by southeast, threatening to outflank the Confederates. Lee, again, had to move with great speed and reposition his army, this time along the banks of the North Anna River. Lee was greatly disturbed by the developments; every previous Union general he had faced would have quit by this point. Grant, on the other hand, was sending short, terse, but poignant telegrams to General Halleck, always to the effect that things were going well. Responding to some of the criticisms in the press, Grant wrote: “I propose to fight it out along this line if it takes all summer.”