What Was The Role of David Herold

[RJNorton]

I agree that getting a clear answer on this is difficult. I will jot down a variety of thoughts and will stand corrected where I go wrong. I certainly look forward to Mr. Fazio's article and research.

I believe Dave Taylor once traced the original mention of Herold being at Seward's to George Alfred Townsend's (GATH's) Lady of Catoctin in 1886. Other authors, such as David Dewitt in 1909, said the same thing. This trend has continued to the present day. Virtually all authors have David Herold accompanying Lewis Powell to Seward's. Yet we have absolutely no eyewitnesses or solid evidence that this happened.

Some authors have implied that Powell didn't know his directions, and Herold was needed to guide him to Seward's. Yet George Robinson, a male nurse at Seward's, apparently saw Powell "scouting" the Seward residence on the mornings of the 13th and 14th. There is no mention of Herold. And we know Herold was on a scouting mission "in the country" on April 13th. So it would seem Powell could find the Seward residence without assistance.

As far as the trial goes, I can think of only two witnesses who even said they saw Herold in Washington on the 14th. These men were John Fletcher and Silas Cobb. Their testimony does not help in pinning down exactly what Herold's role was in Booth's scheme for the 14th. Atzerodt's statement also does not answer the question of whether Herold was with Powell at Seward's.

When Powell knocked at the door and William Bell opened it, did he see Herold in the street with the horses? It was dark, and maybe this would not be possible, but Bell never said he saw Herold.

Did Herold return to the Kirkwood House after leaving Powell at Seward's (if he was at Seward's and that's a big if)? Mrs. Jones, wife of the Kirkwood House's bookkeeper, said she heard a person moving quickly towards Atzerodt's room, trying excitedly to open the door without success and then running back downstairs. Was it Herold whom Mrs. Jones heard? Impossible to say for certain. Apparently Mrs. Jones never opened her door to see who was making all the racket in the hallway.

When at Lloyd's, Booth apparently told Lloyd that he was pretty certain that both Lincoln and Seward had been assassinated. There was no mention of Johnson. Did Herold tell Booth that Powell entered the Seward residence, and he heard screams, then rode off? Or did Booth simply have a high degree of confidence that Powell would carry out his assignment? Did Herold ride to the Kirkwood House and while there realize that Atzerodt had made no attempt to kill Johnson?

Was Herold himself supposed to kill Johnson but didn't do it?

I think there are a lot more questions than answers regarding Herold's actions in Washington on April 14th.