What Was The Role of David Herold

[Linda Anderson]

(12-30-2012 03:49 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  That is pretty much how Mr. Kauffman explains it in American Brutus. He has Herold accompanying Powell to Seward's but leaving to go to Atzerodt at the Kirkwood House prior to Powell even knocking on the door. He says Powell had to delay his attack because one of Seward's doctors was there.

William H. Bell said in his statement that he thought Powell came to the door about five minutes after the doctor left but I can find nothing in Kauffman's footnotes about Powell sending Herold back to tell the others to hold off.

From American Brutus:

"Lewis Powell and David Herold had already gone to Lafayette Park. The Park superintendent always called out the time as he locked the gate, and as soon as that happened, Powell would approach the Sewards' house. He would knock on the door, and then tell the servant he had medicine to give the secretary. It seemed an excellent plan, but at the last minute a complication arose: one of Seward's doctors was still in the house. Now Powell had to either come up with a new cover story or delay his attack. Since nothing came to mind, he sent Harold galloping away to tell the others to hold off."