Southeast
How humanity triumphed over an actual lottery of death during the Civil War
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
In the fall of 1864, both Union and Confederate forces in the Shenandoah Valley found themselves trapped in a cycle of violence and retribution deaths. The Civil War is filled with nuance, tragedy and unexpected sacrifice and triumphs of the human spirit. Two such events helped end this no-win bloody cycle.
In the middle of October 1864, a Union soldier fitted a leather strap around the neck of former Baptist divinity student Private Albert Gallatin Willis. The 20-year-old Confederate, a member of Mosby’s Rangers, courageously prayed as he faced his executioners during his final seconds left on earth.
As a member of Company C of the 43rd Battalion or Mosby’s Rangers, Willis survived multiple skirmishes and harrowing narrow escapes. He was granted a furlough and traveling south toward his home in Culpeper, Virginia, with another Ranger when his horse went lame outside a patchwork of houses in present-day Ben Venue.
LAST SURVIVING MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT FROM THE KOREAN WAR WILL LIE IN HONOR AT THE US CAPITOL
A local blacksmith’s hammer and anvil masked the clatter of approaching Union cavalry as they bore down on the two unsuspecting Confederates. Overwhelmed by numbers, the rebels surrendered without a fight and were taken to Colonel William Henry Powell’s headquarters. Powell ordered that one of the two men be executed in retaliation for a Union soldier who was executed days earlier.
Sergeant William T. Biedler, 16 years old, of Company C, Mosby’s Virginia Cavalry Regiment with flintlock musket.
The largely unknown story of Willis, along with the stories of the Confederate Secret Service and the Union Scouts that inspired the creation of America’s special forces, is explored in my forthcoming book, “The Unvanquished: The Untold Story of Lincoln’s Special Forces, the Manhunt for Mosby’s Rangers, and the Shadow War That Forged America’s Special Operations.”
After Powell discovered Willis’ religious background, he told the young Ranger he could claim an exemption as a chaplain, but the private refused. Powell then ordered the two prisoners to draw straws to determine which would be hanged.
Willis’ companion drew the shorter straw and burst into tears. “I have a wife and children, I am not a Christian and am afraid to die,” the unlucky man pleaded. Willis replied, “I have no family, I am a Christian, and not afraid to die.”
Unfortunately, Willis would not be the last man executed. A deadly series of slayings and retribution followed in his wake.
Bestselling author Patrick K. O’Donnell’s forthcoming book on the Civil War is titled: “The Unvanquished: The Untold Story of Lincoln’s Special Forces, the Manhunt for Mosby’s Rangers, and the Shadow War That Forged America’s Special Operations.”
Col. John S. Mosby informed Confederate General Robert E. Lee of the Union executions and wrote, “It is my purpose to hang an equal number of [General George Armstrong] Custer’s men whenever I capture them.” Lee concurred with Mosby’s approach to halt the violence.
So, on November 4, outside a train depot where 27 Union prisoners were held captive, Mosby planned to carry out Lee’s orders. Each man pulled a scrap of white paper from a hat. Twenty blanks. Seven marked. The unlucky seven would be executed.
Several of the men prayed aloud. Each gingerly plucked a slip of paper. Some exhaled sighs of relief. Others exclaimed, “Oh God, spare me!” A hysterical drummer boy extracted a blank slip to his great relief. The second drummer boy was not so lucky.
Mosby, hearing that the young boy was among the condemned, ordered his immediate release. The remaining 19 men who thought they had cheated death (the other drummer boy was excluded as well) drew lots again until one selected the mark.
The old train depot where the Union prisoners were held by Col. John S. Mosby’s Confederate troops. Graffiti by the prisoners can still be seen on the structure’s walls. (Patrick K. O’Donnell)
Soberly, the Confederates bound the condemned men and mounted them on horses and rode toward the Shenandoah Valley where Mosby had ordered four men to be shot and three hanged.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION
Not all went according to plan, however. When one of the prisoners was granted time to pray, he managed to free his hands while kneeling down. He jumped to his feet, punched the nearest Ranger in the face, and escaped into the woods.
The surprised Confederates fired at the remaining prisoners. A misfire allowed a second man to escape. The Confederates hanged the remaining three prisoners, adorning one with a note that read, “These men have been hung in retaliation for an equal number of Colonel Mosby’s men hung by the order of General Custer, at Front Royal. Measure for measure.”
So, on November 4, outside a train depot where 27 Union prisoners were held captive, Mosby planned to carry out Lee’s orders. Each man pulled a scrap of white paper from a hat. Twenty blanks. Seven marked. The unlucky seven would be executed.
When Mosby’s men returned and explained what happened, instead of executing more men, the Gray Ghost, as Mosby was known, sent a Ranger to Winchester under a white flag with a letter for Union Gen. Philip Sheridan.
In the letter, Mosby detailed the situation, including that he captured over 700 prisoners and sent them to Richmond. He further promised, “Hereafter any prisoners falling into my hands will be treated with the kindness due to their condition, unless some new act of barbarity shall compel me reluctantly to adopt a course of policy repulsive to humanity.”
One of his Rangers returned with a letter from Sheridan. Neither man ever discussed the contents of the letter, but the reprisal killings halted.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM PATRICK K. O’DONNELL
Read the full article from Here
Southeast
Florida college student who allegedly shipped 1,500 rounds of ammo to dorm had AR-15 under bed
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A Florida college student who allegedly ordered 1,500 rounds of ammunition to his dorm room also had a semi-automatic rifle under his bed, according to authorities.
Constantine Demetriades, a 21-year-old senior at Rollins College, was arrested by Winter Park police on Wednesday and charged with possession of a weapon on school property after the ammunition order was reported to police by the school’s assistant campus safety director, according to an arrest affidavit, WKMG reported.
After the purchase was flagged, the assistant safety director searched Demetriades’ dorm and allegedly discovered an unloaded AR-15 under his bed inside an unsecured black carrying case with one loaded magazine and five empty magazines, as well as a tactical vest, knives, a black security vest and ear protection.
FLORIDA OFFICER SHOT IN FACE DURING SERVICE CALL TIED TO MENTAL HEALTH DISPUTE; SUSPECT KILLED
Constantine Demetriades, 21, was charged with possession of a weapon on school property. (Winter Park Police Department)
Demetriades, who said he likes to shoot as a hobby, told police he had the rifle on school property because he had recently returned from a Thanksgiving trip to New Jersey, where he said the guns were purchased and registered legally, according to the affidavit.
He said he did not have ill intentions and that he usually stores the firearm at a friend’s home off school property, the affidavit stated. He also said he only brought the gun to campus on one other occasion.
Constantine Demetriades said he did not have ill intentions. (Getty Images)
While Florida allows open carry, Rollins College bans all weapons on campus. Demetriades allegedly said he is aware that weapons are not allowed on campus and that his New Jersey concealed carry permit does not apply in Florida.
The college said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital that he is banned from campus until the situation is resolved, adding that an internal investigation has been opened.
FLORIDA MAN ARRESTED IN WEALTHY BEACH TOWN OVER ALLEGED TIKTOK SCHOOL-SHOOTING THREAT
While Florida allows open carry, Rollins College bans all weapons on campus. (Getty Images)
“On Wednesday, the College received a report indicating a violation of our weapons policy,” Rollins College said in a statement. “After receiving this information, we immediately initiated an investigation.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“We quickly identified and contacted the student, who cooperated fully with College officials and local law enforcement as we investigated the matter further,” the statement continued. “The student was arrested and is not permitted to be on campus while the College proceeds with the student conduct process.”
The school said Demetriades was additionally charged with a violation of the college’s weapons policy, and will go through the on-campus conduct process.
Read the full article from Here
Southeast
Marjorie Taylor Greene spars with ’60 Minutes’ host over ‘accusatory’ questions
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., briefly sparred with “60 Minutes” host Lesley Stahl over what she claimed was “accusatory” behavior from the journalist.
Greene gave her first sit-down interview with Stahl since announcing her resignation from Congress last month. During the segment, Stahl and Greene spoke about the Georgia lawmaker’s apology for taking part in “toxic politics.”
“I would like to say humbly, I‘m sorry for taking part in the toxic politics,” Greene told CNN in November. “It’s very bad for our country, and it’s been something I’ve thought about a lot, especially since Charlie Kirk was assassinated, is that we, I’m only responsible for myself and my own words and actions, and I am committed, and I’ve been working on this a lot lately to put down the knives in politics.”
REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE TO APPEAR ON ’60 MINUTES’ AHEAD OF EXIT FROM CONGRESS
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., gave her first sit-down interview with “60 Minutes” since announcing her resignation. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“But you contributed to that,” Stahl asked Greene Sunday. “You. You, you were out there pounding, insulting people.”
Greene pushed back, claiming that Stahl had contributed to toxic politics herself.
“You’re accusatory, just like you did just then,” Greene said.
“I know you’re accusing me, but I’m smiling,” Stahl responded.
“You’re accusing me,” Greene said. “But we don’t have to accuse one another.”
The two continued to go back and forth, with Greene repeatedly insisting that Stahl should also acknowledge her own contribution to toxic politics.
“I don’t insult people,” Stahl said.
TRUMP SAYS HE’D ‘LOVE TO SEE’ GREENE RETURN TO POLITICS DESPITE RECENT ATTACKS
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., previously apologized for her role in “toxic” politics. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
“You just, you do in the way you question,” Greene said. “And you are, you’re accusing me right now.”
Fox News Digital reached out to CBS News for comment.
Greene previously sat down with Stahl in April 2023, when the two had a fiery exchange over the congresswoman’s claim that Democrats are the “party of pedophiles.”
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE SAYS SHE HOPES TO ‘MAKE UP’ WITH TRUMP AMID ONGOING FEUD
“They are not pedophiles. Why would you say that?” Stahl exclaimed.
“Democrats support — even Joe Biden, the president himself — supports children being sexualized and having transgender surgeries. Sexualizing children is what pedophiles do to children,” Greene said.
“Wow,” Stahl reacted.
“60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl had a tense exchange with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., over her claim that Democrats were the “party of pedophiles” during an April 2023 interview. (Screenshots/CBS News)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Greene shocked the political landscape last month when she revealed she would leave Congress Jan. 5. Many believe her abrupt exit was the result of her soured relationship with President Donald Trump.
Fox News’ Joseph Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
Read the full article from Here
Southeast
FBI’s renewed push in DC pipe bomb case shows how fresh eyes can change a stalled investigation
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Federal agents searching the Virginia home of Brian Cole Jr., accused of planting pipe bombs in Washington on Jan. 5, 2021, carried out a step-by-step operation this week that indicated investigators have re-energized a case that had seen little movement for years.
Cole was arrested in Woodbridge, Virginia, last week after federal investigators identified him as the suspect accused of planting the pipe bombs on Jan. 5, 2021, near the Capitol complex, the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). His arrest marked the first major break in a case that had been largely dormant for years.
Retired FBI Special Agent Jason Pack, who previously helped lead Evidence Response Teams, told Fox News Digital the search followed the standard sequence used in explosive investigations, beginning with hazard clearing before evidence work. He said the careful pace shows investigators treating the case as if it had just happened.
The operation began with the standard safety sweep used in federal explosives investigations.
CNN’S JAKE TAPPER ISSUES CORRECTION AFTER CALLING DC PIPE BOMB SUSPECT A ‘WHITE MAN’
Brian J. Cole was arrested by the FBI for alleged involvement in the D.C. pipe bomb incident. (Department of Justice)
“Federal agents are following a deliberate and familiar sequence as the search of the Woodbridge residence continues,” Pack said. “The presence of explosive ordnance disposal technicians, bomb techs and specialized K-9 teams indicates that the first priority is safety.”
He explained that investigators must first clear the property of possible explosive hazards to protect personnel and preserve the scene before they can begin collecting evidence.
One of the clearest indications of the work underway came from the metal paint cans agents carried out of the home.
FBI DIRECTOR SUGGESTS ‘SHEER INCOMPETENCE’ OR ‘NEGLIGENCE’ IN BIDEN ADMIN HANDLING OF PIPE BOMB CASE
The FBI is carrying out “court enforced activity” at a home in Woodbridge, Va., after authorities arrested a suspect who allegedly planted pipe bombs blocks from the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 5, 2021, sources told Fox News on Dec. 4, 2025. (WTTG)
Pack said metal paint cans are a preferred method for collecting and transporting suspected explosive material because they limit contamination and protect volatile samples. The cans also allow forensic laboratories to analyze residues, components and chemical signatures that might connect a device to a specific individual or technique.
Once the scene is declared safe, evidence teams can move inside the home.
FBI Evidence Response Team members, guided by a federal search warrant and its attachments, typically handle the next phase of the search and use those documents to determine what they are authorized to seize.
CNN’S JAKE TAPPER CALLS DC PIPE BOMB SUSPECT ‘WHITE MAN’ SHORTLY BEFORE AIRING PHOTO OF ALLEGED BLACK CULPRIT
The FBI swarmed the home following the suspect’s arrest. (WTTG)
Those categories include explosive components or precursor chemicals; tools or materials used to construct destructive devices; electronic devices such as phones, hard drives and laptops; records, notes or digital communications that could show planning, motive or knowledge; and items that confirm identity, occupancy or control of the residence.
In this investigation, agents are looking for evidence that establishes intent, capability and any links to the explosive devices planted on Jan. 5, 2021.
Once the evidence is collected, it moves into the long analytical phase of the investigation.
PIRRO CALLS SUSPECTED DC PIPE BOMBER ‘QUIET,’ REVEALS INSIGHT INTO HIS ‘LOW-KEY’ PERSONAL LIFE
Sketch of Brian Cole Jr.’s first federal court appearance in Washington, D.C. Friday, December 5, 2025. Cole is the lead suspect in the D.C. pipe incident. (Dana Verkouteren)
Any electronics seized will undergo digital forensics to recover communications, searches or location data that may reveal planning or coordination. Laboratories will also examine residues or components to determine whether they match the devices used at the Capitol complex, the RNC or the DNC.
Pack said the search in Woodbridge shows the FBI is treating the investigation as if it had just begun, which he said can “change the entire trajectory” of the case.
“I have been the fresh set of eyes on cold cases, and I worked them as if the crime happened that morning,” he said. “The initial investigators often do excellent work. A new perspective simply asks different questions and sometimes spots the detail that finally brings the guilty to justice.”
FOX NEWS POLITICS NEWSLETTER: WHO IS BRIAN COLE, THE DC PIPE BOMB SUSPECT?
The suspect is seen walking outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters moments before placing one of two pipe bombs discovered near party offices in Washington, D.C. (FBI)
Pack said the U.S. Attorney’s Office is responsible for obtaining the warrants and court orders that move an investigation from suspicion to proof.
“When the immediate danger has passed, older cases often end up folded into the stack of files handled by overworked Assistant United States Attorneys who are already juggling emergencies of their own,” he said. “That can slow down warrants and subpoenas, not because anyone is dragging their feet, but because they are drowning in urgent matters.”
EVIDENCE AGAINST J6 PIPE BOMB SUSPECT WAS JUST ‘SITTING THERE’ FOR YEARS, DOJ SAYS
The same pressures hit FBI agents, Pack said, as new threats emerge each day and older cases get pushed back while “investigators run to the sound of guns.”
“There are only 12,000 FBI agents in the world, and that small group is responsible for handling every threat that comes our way,” Pack said. “When leadership pours fresh resources back into a case, the whole machine turns forward again. Sunlight finds what shadows hide, and a second look often makes all the difference.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Cole had his first court appearance Friday after being arrested the day before and charged with transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce and with maliciously attempting to destroy property using explosive materials.
He has been speaking with investigators and reportedly admitted to planting the devices and expressing doubts about the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, a source close to the investigation told Fox News.
Read the full article from Here
-
Iowa4 days agoAddy Brown motivated to step up in Audi Crooks’ absence vs. UNI
-
Washington1 week agoLIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
-
Iowa6 days agoHow much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals
-
Maine3 days agoElementary-aged student killed in school bus crash in southern Maine
-
Maryland4 days agoFrigid temperatures to start the week in Maryland
-
Technology1 week agoThe Game Awards are losing their luster
-
South Dakota5 days agoNature: Snow in South Dakota
-
Nebraska1 week agoNebraska lands commitment from DL Jayden Travers adding to early Top 5 recruiting class