David Herold

David Herold

David Edgar Herold (June 16, 1842 – July 7, 1865) was an accomplice of John Wilkes Booth in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. After guiding fellow conspirator Lewis Powell to the home of Secretary of State William H. Seward, whom Powell attempted to kill, Herold fled and met with Booth outside of Washington, D.C. They then proceeded to Surrattsville, Maryland where they picked up weapons that Mary Surratt had left earlier for them at her property. Since Booth had broken his leg earlier in the escape, Herold accompanied him to the home of Dr. Samuel Mudd. After Mudd set Booth's leg, Herold and Booth continued their escape through Maryland and into Virginia, and Herold remained with Booth until the authorities found them. After becoming trapped in a barn by Union Army troops on the property of Richard Henry Garrett, Herold surrendered to the troops, but Booth, refusing to surrender, was shot by Sergeant Thomas P. "Boston" Corbett through a crack in the barn wall, and died a few hours later. After having admitted his participation in the conspiracy, Herold was tried and sentenced to death by hanging. The sentence was carried out on July 7, 1865, a day after it was imposed.