What Was The Role of David Herold

[Susan Higginbotham]

(09-20-2017 08:45 PM)Dave Taylor Wrote:  Susan,
The reference to Davy in Mr. Herold’s will is located in a later codicil that is not included in the version of the will you found. The codicil, dated September 9, 1864, describes that if Mrs. Herold should die before Mr. Herold the settling of his estate shall devolve to his three eldest daughters. Though Kauffman inadvertently altered the exact text of this codicil, the sentiment he describes is true. The codicil ends with the statement that, “…in no case shall the duty of managing my estate fall upon my son, David.” I have images of the codicil if you would like them.

Dave

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Also, the date of Davy leaving the employ of Dr. Walsh on September 4, 1864, comes from the statement of James W. Walsh, Dr. Walsh's son. James Walsh gave a statement on April 27th, which stated, in part, "I am in the drug business. I know David E. Herold. He was in my father's employ about eleven months. He left on the 4th of September without assigning any particular reason save a desire for sport...His father was ill; died two or three days after David left..."

James Walsh was a bit off regarding Mr. Herold's death as it did not occur until about a month after Davy left Walsh's employ, on October 6, 1864.

Thanks! Yes, please send along the codicil.

[Dave Taylor]

(09-20-2017 09:19 PM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote:  

(09-20-2017 08:45 PM)Dave Taylor Wrote:  Susan,
The reference to Davy in Mr. Herold’s will is located in a later codicil that is not included in the version of the will you found. The codicil, dated September 9, 1864, describes that if Mrs. Herold should die before Mr. Herold the settling of his estate shall devolve to his three eldest daughters. Though Kauffman inadvertently altered the exact text of this codicil, the sentiment he describes is true. The codicil ends with the statement that, “…in no case shall the duty of managing my estate fall upon my son, David.” I have images of the codicil if you would like them.

Thanks! Yes, please send along the codicil.

Here you go:

[Susan Higginbotham]

Thanks! I should have checked further before posting what I did. That vote of parental non-confidence must have been humiliating, however justified it might have been.

[RJNorton]

(09-20-2017 08:10 PM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote:  There is another questionable thing about Kauffman's book and Herold

I have asked this before, and a few folks offered opinions but nothing specific regarding a source. I think I'll try again. Mike Kauffman has a different version of Herold/Powell at Seward's than any other author I've seen. In American Brutus, Mr. Kauffman writes:

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 Herold galloping away to tell the others to hold off.

Herold then rides to the Kirkwood House in an attempt to tell Atzerodt not to do anything yet.

Has anyone ever read this prior to American Brutus? This scenario is not in any other book I've read, and there is no endnote for it in AB.

I think the majority of authors have Herold staying outside the Seward home and then fleeing when screams were heard coming from inside. There are other versions, though. Betty O, in her second edition, suggests Powell knew Washington well enough that no escort was needed to find Seward's residence. In his book, John Fazio is of the opinion that Herold did not accompany Powell to Seward's.

Does anyone know the original source for the "conventional wisdom" that Powell was so poor at directions that he needed to be guided to Seward's?

[BettyO]

I have seen the reference that Powell "didn't know Washington well" as far back as Jim Bishop's book (more of a novel than a historical work; i.e. no notes; references, etc.) There is no insinuation in Doster's argument nor in GATH's interpretation (Life Crime and Capture of JWB) (pp. 46-47). I do know that a mention of Powell being "unfamiliar" with Washington comes up in Weichmann's work which, however, was not published until 1975....

The canard about Powell having a "Union skull for an ashtray" comes from Doster's argument - and this is a general statement; not given to Powell specifically. Likewise, the story about Powell meeting JWB for the first time at the Old Richmond Theatre also rings untrue - as JWB was not playing in Richmond in 1861. He may have met Booth in Richmond, but it was not while attending a Booth play. These are Doster's assumptions for a logical argument.

In truth, Powell was afraid to go abroad in the city in daylight due to his previous arrest in Baltimore in March of 1865 by which he could be re-arrested (if recognized) and sent to prison again. He did know his way about sufficiently to find his way to the Surratt House (at least 2 times, once after the kidnapping attempt and then including upon his arrest). A person matching his description shows up at the Canterbury Music Hall on the evening of the assassination about 5 PM in conversation with a group of men one of whom was identified as looking like Booth. Powell subsequently had a calling card in his pocket for a Mary J. Gardner with her hotel room number inscribed on it. Gardner was a dance hall girl/probable prostitute, who was playing at the Canterbury at the time. Powell was headed towards Bennings Bridge which had been closed. He supposedly had no knowledge of this, however, he appeared to be riding North in the direction of Baltimore - perhaps to the Branson House.

Powell was not fond of Herold - referring to him as a "little blab."

[RJNorton]

Thanks, Betty!

Here is an example of what I have read in so many books. This is from James Swanson's Manhunt:

"David Herold would accompany Powell, direct him to Seward's home, and then guide the assassin, unfamiliar with the capital's streets, out of the city." (p. 29)

As Powell had already scouted the Seward home previously, I just don't understand why so many authors "assume" he needed to be guided to the home on the night of the 14th.

[BettyO]

I agree. It seems so many authors follow what others wrote before without doing their own "digging"/research. If you read Steer's The Evidence - there is another reference to two young men who were witnessed one evening in early April (one of whom was Herold and the other who resembled Powell) running after a horse-car in an attempt to catch it. If this was indeed Powell, he did go out in the late afternoon/night at times....and he was out and abroad during the kidnap plot as well. He had also scouted out the Seward home the week of the 14th of April, flirting with Seward's parlor maid, according to Atzerodt. George Robinson had also seen him and thought he was perhaps a neighbor's kid. Powell could indeed get around....

[JMadonna]

Could it have been possible that Herold was the man on Stanton's doorstep that night?

[John Fazio]

Jerry:

Anything is "possible", but the evidence is conclusive that Herold was either with Booth or on his way to him, after being at Ford's and the Kirkwood, at the time the skulking figure muffled in a cloak was seen on Stanton's porch. Please see either the February, 2013, issue of The Surratt Courier, or pp. 85-91 of Decapitating the Union[i] for a comprehensive analysis of where Herold was on the night of April 14, 1865, and what he did and did not do. In my judgment, the conclusions are not are not iron-clad, but they are probably as close to the truth as we are going to get, based on the evidence we have.

John

[JMadonna]

John,
I agree with you. I'm just speculating on whether the man on the porch was an unknown conspirator or someone trying to inform Stanton of the assassination. He had to be either friend or foe.

[John Fazio]

(11-28-2018 09:57 AM)JMadonna Wrote:  John,
I agree with you. I'm just speculating on whether the man on the porch was an unknown conspirator or someone trying to inform Stanton of the assassination. He had to be either friend or foe.

Jerry:

He had to be foe, because the evidence is that he took off upon the approach of messengers (variously described) who were coming from Ford's to apprise the Secretary of what had happened there. There is also evidence that another man was seen behind a tree box on Stanton's property. He too left abruptly when an attempt was made to apprehend him. These items of evidence, together with other evidence, including the fact that Stanton was named as an intended victim in conversations between Confederate operatives in Canada, as well as in Thomas A. Jones's 1893 book, J. Wilkes Booth, make it quite certain that Stanton was targeted on April 14. That should not surprise us.

John

[Wesley Harris]

It boils down to the fact there is no hard evidence as to whether Herold was at the Seward House that night. The idea he led Powell there is purely speculation and numerous authors have simply repeated that speculation over and over.

[John Fazio]

(12-18-2018 05:46 PM)Wesley Harris Wrote:  It boils down to the fact there is no hard evidence as to whether Herold was at the Seward House that night. The idea he led Powell there is purely speculation and numerous authors have simply repeated that speculation over and over.

Wesley:

I agree with you 100%. There are many cases of historical error that becomes accepted "truth" by virtue of being picked up and repeated over and over again by other authors. As another example, there is the well-worn story that the Lincolns stopped at the Harris mansion to pick up Clara and Henry and then went on to the theater. That is NOT the way it happened. Please see pp. 140-144 of Decapitating the Union.

John

[RJNorton]

(12-18-2018 06:24 PM)John Fazio Wrote:  There are many cases of historical error that becomes accepted "truth" by virtue of being picked up and repeated over and over again by other authors. As another example, there is the well-worn story that the Lincolns stopped at the Harris mansion to pick up Clara and Henry and then went on to the theater. That is NOT the way it happened. Please see pp. 140-144 of Decapitating the Union.

John has some interesting thoughts on this topic. In case you do not have John's book, please see his article #3 on this web page: (titled How Did the Presidential Party Get to the Theater?)

http://clevelandcivilwarroundtable.com/a...iddles.htm

[JMadonna]

I've convinced myself that if the man on Stanton's porch was indeed a foe it couldn't have been Herold since all his weaponry was locked in Atzerdot's hotel room.