David Herold (June 16, 1842 – July 7, 1865) conspired to kill United States President Abraham Lincoln.

He was born in Maryland, the son of Adam and Mary Porter Herold. He attended Charlotte Hall Academy, where he met John Surratt, who introduced him to John Wilkes Booth.

He guided Lewis Powell (aka Lewis Payne) to the house of Lincoln's Secretary of State William Seward. Another conspirator claimed that Herold was to have killed Vice President Andrew Johnson, but this attack was never carried out.

Herold assisted Booth to the home of Dr. Samuel Mudd, where Booth's leg was set. Herold and Booth were surrounded on 26 April 1865, and Booth was shot dead, while Herold surrendered.

Herold was tried before a military tribunal (having already admitted his involvement in the assassination conspiracy, his defense was that he was feeble-minded and under undue influence from Booth), and was hanged in Washington, D.C.. He is interred in the Congressional Cemetery there.

External links

• David Herold