David Herold facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Herold
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Herold at the Washington Navy Yard after his arrest (1865)
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David Edgar Herold
June 16, 1842 Maryland, U.S.
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| Died | July 7, 1865 (aged 23) Arsenal Penitentiary, Fort McNair, Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Resting place | Congressional Cemetery |
| Occupation | Pharmacist's assistant |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Parent(s) | Adam and Mary Porter Herold |
| Conviction(s) | Conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
David Edgar Herold (born June 16, 1842 – died July 7, 1865) was an American who worked as a pharmacist's assistant. He became involved with John Wilkes Booth in the plan to kill Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865. After Lincoln was shot, Herold helped Booth escape. They went to the home of Dr. Samuel Mudd, who treated Booth's injured leg.
The two men continued their escape through Maryland and into Virginia. Herold stayed with Booth until soldiers found them in a barn. Herold gave up, but Booth did not. Herold was later put on trial by a military court. He was found guilty of being part of the plan and was sentenced to death. He was hanged along with three other people involved in the plot. This happened at the Washington Arsenal, which is now called Fort Lesley J. McNair.
Who Was David Herold?
His Early Life
David E. Herold was born in Maryland. He was one of eleven children, but he was the only son who lived to be an adult. His father, Adam George Herold, worked as the Chief Clerk at the Naval Storehouse in the Washington Navy Yard for over 20 years.
David's family had enough money and lived in a big brick house in Washington, D.C. David went to several schools, including Gonzaga College High School and Georgetown College. In 1860, he earned a certificate in pharmacy from Georgetown College. After that, he worked helping pharmacists and doctors. He also loved to hunt.
He met John Surratt while they were at Charlotte Hall Military Academy. A few years later, in December 1864, Surratt introduced David Herold to John Wilkes Booth.
The Assassination Plot
Herold and a group of people had first planned to kidnap President Lincoln. But later, they decided to kill Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Secretary of State William H. Seward. They hoped this would help the Confederacy during the American Civil War.
On the night of April 14, 1865, Herold led Lewis Powell to Seward's house. Inside, Powell tried to kill Seward, hurting him and others in his home very badly. The noise scared Herold, and he rode away, leaving Powell behind. Another person in the plot, George Atzerodt, was supposed to kill Vice President Andrew Johnson, but he did not show up.
Booth shot Lincoln at Ford's Theater. After shooting Lincoln, Booth jumped onto the stage and may have broken his leg. He quickly rode away on a horse into Maryland, where he met Herold. They went to Surrattsville, Maryland (now Clinton). There, they picked up weapons that Mary Surratt had left for them at her tavern.
Booth and Herold then went to the home of Dr. Samuel Mudd, who treated Booth's leg. Dr. Mudd let them rest at his house for a few hours. The two then went to the house of Samuel Cox, who supported the Confederacy. Cox did not let them into his house. Instead, he told them to stay in a thick group of trees behind his house. He brought food, drinks, and newspapers to Booth and Herold. From the newspapers, Booth learned that people did not see him as a hero.
After almost being caught by Union soldiers, Herold killed the horses they were riding. He worried the horses would give away their location. Cox later gave Booth a small boat to cross the Potomac River. Because of thick fog, Herold and Booth landed back in Maryland, not in Virginia as they had planned.
Next, they forced a farmer and his family to sleep outside while they slept in the bedrooms. They left in the morning and went to a farm owned by Richard Henry Garrett. Garrett did not know what they had done. He let them stay on his property and made them sleep in the tobacco barn. Soon, they woke up to the sound of horses.
Capture and Trial
Herold and Booth were found by Union soldiers on April 26. Herold gave up, but Booth refused to surrender. Booth was shot by Sergeant Boston Corbett and died a few hours later.
Herold was put on trial by a military court. He had already said he was involved in the plan to kill Lincoln. His lawyer, Frederick Stone, tried to argue that Herold was not very smart and was easily influenced by Booth. This defense did not work. Herold was found guilty and sentenced to death. He was hanged in Washington, D.C., on July 7, 1865.
On February 15, 1869, Herold's mother and five of his sisters buried his body in Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C. His grave was not marked. It was placed next to his father's grave. The gravestone that remembers David in Congressional Cemetery was put there in July 1917. This was when his sister, Mary Alice, was buried in the same cemetery.
