on the part of the rebels, this edange is it against -- evinc by the unanimous statement of visitors taken from them. rely upon it -- the end is near as well. similarly, in late may, the washington republican and the philadelphia bulletin also aported, "lee has commenced hasty retreat, pursued with real vigor by grant. lee. is embarrassing we show here next of a grand conflict for the city of richmond before or in the works of that capital. advice to say that davis and his --inet to and some days ago davis and his cabinet left richmond some days ago. than aothing less fortress." >> by june 3, aged six to four, the union army arrived within eight miles of richmond. the weary, dust-cake soldiers on the front line who had endured a month of incessant hard marching , unimaginable bloodletting and death dug in around the virginia crossroads notice cold harbor. grant's unrelenting hammering of lee's army continued on this day 150 years ago. a frontal assault was ordered, unmatched for sheer brutality. three assault, a private of the 36 wisconsin wrote to his daughter from the words that i