Ford's Theatre National Historic Site ⓘ

The Ford's Theatre building was first constructed in 1833 as the First Baptist Church. In 1859, the structure was abandoned as a place of worship. John T. Ford, a theatre entrepreneur from Baltimore, leased the building in 1861. A church board member predicted a dire fate would fall anyone who turned the former house of worship into a theatre. In 1862, Ford renovated the theatre and performances began, setting in motion events to follow that would shake America to its core.

After President Abraham Lincoln was shot he was carried across the street to the home of William A. Petersen, a German tailor. He lay dying diagonally across William T. Clark's bed in a room in the back of the house. Originally built in 1849, the house was expanded in 1858 to accommodate its use as a boarding house. The night of Lincoln's assassination, over 90 people streamed through the small house to pay their respects to the dying President.

John Wilkes Booth entered the Star Saloon, located next to Fords Theatre, and had a drink of whiskey and water. Soon after, he entered the Theatre to assassinate the President. Built in 1863, the Star Saloon closed after the assassination. It was later used as a tailor shop, typewriter company and a factory before it was torn down in 1930.

June 1834: The future Ford’s Theatre opened as the First Baptist Church. The church was founded in response to the growing population in the nation’s capital. The congregation chose a convenient downtown location: 10 th Street NW, between E and F Streets, less than one mile from the White House. 1859: The First Baptist Church merged with the Fourth Baptist Church, in an effort to resolve some financial issues. Both congregations moved into a building on 13 th Street NW. This left the building on 10 th Street vacant. 1859 – 1861: The Fourth Baptist Church hosted concerts in the otherwise vacant structure on 10 th Street. March 4, 1861: Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the 16 th President of the United States against the backdrop of a looming civil war. Seven southern states had already seceded from the Union, as the northern and southern states were deeply divided over the issue of slavery. April 9, 1861: Confederate forces fired the first shots of the American Civil War at Fort Sumter, located in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina.

Mary Todd Lincoln (1818-1882) was born into an influential and politically well-connected Kentucky family in Lexington. The Todds were among a handful of elite families in the state that sought to create a citadel of civilization on the frontier. Mary’s upbringing reflected these values. The family, who played an integral role in the creation of Transylvania University, made sure that Mary received a solid education. Rare among women of her time, Mary Todd attained nearly ten years of schooling. She followed six years of study at Shelby Female Academy with four more years at Madame Charlotte Mentelle’s boarding school. By that point, she had become fluent in French. Mary's academic background instilled a poise in her that would become one of the hallmark characteristics of her personality. At age fourteen, she dined alongside close family friend and presidential candidate Henry Clay. Mary told Clay that she, too, fully expected to live in Washington in the future.

Abraham Lincoln considered Henry Clay a political idol. It was only following his marriage to Mary Todd, though, that he had an opportunity to meet Clay in person. It came at a political meeting organized by Mary’s father in Lexington, while Lincoln was in route to Washington as congressman-elect in 1847. Socio-economically, Abraham and Mary were of two different worlds. Both, however, found a shared interest in politics and intellectual pursuits. Their mutual attraction to one another likely sprang from this mental connection.

The two were also shaped by slavery. Abraham Lincoln got back into politics in the 1850s as the debate over slavery intensified. In Mary’s case, she experienced the institution firsthand, as the Todds were slaveholders. This background—and the enlistment of some of the Todds in the Confederate Army—fueled speculation that Mary was secretly sympathetic to the South during the war. The Todds, however, remained divided over the issue of slavery. Mary was among the Todds that opposed the institution. Throughout the Civil War, Mary Lincoln demonstrated concern for freedmen. She cultivated close personal relationships with African American women such as Elizabeth Keckly . Mary gave money and gifts to the burgeoning "freedom villages," where fugitive slaves sought refuge in and around Washington. She encouraged her husband to do the same.

Frank and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolniana, Mississippi State University Libraries

Mary Lincoln’s projects to refurbish the White House created a headache for Abraham Lincoln. In fairness, previous administrations had not spent much on the upkeep of the “Executive Mansion.” Many of the rooms had taken on a threadbare and shabby appearance. Mary’s zeal for furnishing the White House with more up-to-date décor, though, garnered unwelcome attention. This exposed the Lincolns to ridicule in the press and from the public. Her trips north to survey potential new materials for the White House ran from two to four months long and were costly. Abraham Lincoln covered some of these expenses out of his own pocket. Congress, too, eventually authorized two additional expenditures to cover part of Mary’s purchases.

The Civil War took a toll on Lincoln’s presidency and the relationship between Mary and Abraham. In the days and hours before the fateful assassination at Ford’s Theatre, the two showed a renewed intimacy. Before their evening engagement at Ford’s, the Lincolns took a carriage ride together through Washington, DC. Opening up to Mary that day, Abraham acknowledged that “between the war and the loss of our darling Willie—we have both been very miserable.” They turned to talk about the future as they rode along. Abraham Lincoln talked of plans to voyage abroad to Europe, and even to travel out to the Pacific Coast to see California. These hopes would be tragically cut short.

Mary's life was forever altered by the death of her husband. She wore the traditional Victorian mourning garb for the rest of her life, long beyond what social customs dictated. She fell under the influence of the spiritualist movement of the era, participating in many seances to attempt to contact her lost loved ones. Many unscrupulous con artists took advantage of the former first lady, such as the "spirit photographer" William Mumler. Mumler claimed that he could capture an image of Abraham Lincoln's ghost with Mary, but the photograph was a hoax. She lost another son in 1871, as young Tad died of tuberculosis. In 1875, as Mary's mental health declined, her lone surviving son Robert committed her to an insane asylum. She was released a few months later, living the rest of her life with her sister's family in Springfield. Mary Lincoln died of a stroke on July 15, 1882.

Mary has been harshly evaluated by many writers over the years. In recent decades, more nuanced portrayals of Mary Lincoln have emerged. Both Lincolns suffered greatly following the deaths of their children, Eddie and Willie. Mary, in particular, was never quite the same again following the deaths of her two sons. It is clear the strictures of 19th century American society, and the very public role of first lady in this era, played a major role. Mary did not get the time and space to grieve in the way modern first families might be allowed. She could be strong-willed, mercurial, and outspoken. These traits were not appreciated in the period in which she lived. The added weight of the death of Abraham Lincoln on April 15, 1865, and those of her boys over the years, were immense burdens on Mary.

The complexity of the relationship between Abraham and Mary Lincoln continues to intrigue the public. The partnership between the two shaped a political career and influenced the course of the Civil War. Focusing too much on Mary's shortcomings obscures an opportunity for us to assess what the two saw in each other. As Lincoln historian Kenneth J. Winkle aptly writes of Abraham and Mary, “. . . what a fascinating and enigmatic marriage they forged in undertaking it.”

In 1861, President-Elect Abraham Lincoln narrowly avoided a potential assassination plot in Baltimore. He made his way to Washington in secret on an overnight train, arriving in the capital city unannounced. A woman detective played a key role in uncovering this scheme and securing safe passage for Lincoln. Who was this "lady unknown," who ensured that Lincoln would give his First Inaugural Address?

Kate Warne was the first female private detective in the United States. As an employee of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, she helped uncover the plot to kill Lincoln. The sexism of the 19th century could make women like Warne almost invisible. She could make her way into prominent secessionist circles without raising suspicion. American society at the time saw women as powerless, and nobody would suspect the presence of a lady detective. Warne knew the opportunities that could come from such prejudice. In fact, it was her main argument when she surprised Allan Pinkerton by responding to his job posting for private detectives. As Warne told Pinkerton, “She could go and worm out secrets in many places to which it was impossible for male detectives to gain access.”

Warne discovered the Baltimore conspiracy while undercover as "Mrs. Cherry" or "Mrs. Barley." She posed a woman with a strong Southern accent and wore a cockade pin signaling allegiance to the South. In this guise, Warne often attended parties at the secessionists’ headquarters. She learned that pro-Confederate agents in Baltimore intended to assassinate Abraham Lincoln as he changed trains in the city. Warne shared the details of the plot with Pinkerton. Together, they worked to convince a reluctant Lincoln to change his travel plans.

Warne purchased four train tickets for a sleeping car berth to Washington via Baltimore overnight. She accompanied Pinkerton, Lincoln, and Lincoln's friend Ward Hill Lamon on the journey. Warne pretended to be caring for her ill brother, who required the utmost privacy and quiet in a rear car. None of the train's regular passengers knew that they were traveling with the president-elect. Warne remained alert all throughout the night until the party safely arrived in Washington. Her restless vigilance inspired the slogan of Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency – We Never Sleep.

Pinkerton praised Warne for her efforts, and they worked closely together throughout the Civil War. Pinkerton also put Warne in charge of his agency's new Female Detective Bureau. In that role, he remembered that “she exhibited great kindness, strength of will, and force of character.”

Warne's extraordinary life was sadly cut short by pneumonia. Pinkerton remained by Warne’s side until her death on January 28, 1868. He buried Warne in his personal plot at Graceland Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois.

While living in the White House, Mary Lincoln formed several friendships. Perhaps her most notable connection was one with a formerly enslaved woman, Elizabeth Keckly (also sometimes spelled Keckley). Elizabeth Keckly’s life was an incredible story of perseverance and survival. It started in the direst of conditions and ultimately involved and influenced some of the most powerful Americans of the day.

In February 1818 in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, an enslaved woman named Agnes (“Aggy”) gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s father was their enslaver, Colonel Armistead Burwell. Agnes had no choice or power in the "relationship." Since her mother was enslaved, Elizabeth ("Lizzy)" was born into slavery as well. Not initially aware of the identity of her biological father, Lizzy grew up believing him to be Agnes’ later husband, George Hobbs. Hobbs was an enslaved man who lived nearby and with whom she had a close relationship. Growing up on the Burwell plantation, Elizabeth worked with her mother on tasks like taking care of the Burwell children. Agnes also sewed for the family and taught this skill to her daughter, along with how to read and write. Living on the Burwell plantation, Elizabeth saw the horrors of slavery firsthand. Lashings and other punishments were all too common. She also experienced heartbreak when George Hobbs’ enslaver took him out west, away from the family. They never saw him again.

Sadly, Elizabeth experienced further heartbreak when the Burwells separated her from her mother at the age of 14. The Burwells sent her to work for their son, Reverend Robert Burwell, and his wife Margaret in North Carolina. At Robert Burwell’s home, she continued to experience the horrors of slavery. Robert, his wife, and their neighbor beat Elizabeth frequently. They then gave her to work for a local store owner, Alexander McKenzie Kirkland. Kirkland repeatedly assaulted her over the next four years. In 1839, she gave birth to a son by him that she named George after her assumed father, George Hobbs. After ten years surviving these horrors, Elizabeth and her son George returned to Virginia when Armistead Burwell died. Burwell’s son-in-law, Hugh A. Garland inherited them as property following Armistead’s death. Hugh Garland had married Elizabeth's white half-sister, Ann. The Garlands moved to St. Louis in 1847 and brought Agnes, Elizabeth, and young George with them. Hugh Garland continued his law practice in Missouri. His most famous case was serving as the defense attorney for John Sanford. Sanford was the enslaver of Dred Scott, an enslaved man who became famous for seeking his freedom before the Supreme Court. While living in St. Louis, Elizabeth became an accomplished seamstress. Her wages constituted a major income source for the Garlands, who were increasingly unable to support themselves without her.

Over the next several years, Elizabeth became highly successful and mingled with the free Black population of St. Louis. In 1850, she met James Keckly, a free African American man, and they developed a relationship. She refused to marry him until she and her son were free, and asked Hugh Garland for her freedom. At first, Garland refused. He later agreed to free her at the cost of $1200 for her and her son. With this hope of independence, Elizabeth married James Keckly in 1852.

Elizabeth Keckly worked to raise the money to secure her freedom for the next three years. The Garlands made this effort difficult with their constant demands, making it difficult for her to earn money of her own. In the end, Mrs. Keckly's connections she had made in St. Louis stepped up. The sympathetic Le Bourgois family came to her aid, giving her money which served as a loan to purchase her freedom. In this way, Elizabeth Keckly finally achieved freedom for herself and her son in 1855. She remained in St. Louis, continued her work as a seamstress, and became a successful dressmaker. By 1860, she had repaid the loans to the Le Bourgois family. She also separated from her husband because of his abuse of alcohol that, she noted, made him “a burden instead of helpmate.” With this new independence, Elizabeth Keckly moved to Washington D.C. to work as a dressmaker and began making dresses for the elite of the nation’s capital. Her clients included Varina Davis, wife of Mississippi Senator Jefferson Davis, and Anna Custis Lee, the wife of Robert E. Lee. By 1861, she had established a reputation as a prominent dressmaker. Her work soon caught the eye of the incoming first lady, Mary Lincoln.

On Inauguration Day, March 4, 1861, Mary Lincoln was growing desperate looking for a dress for an upcoming party. An acquaintance of Mary, Margaret Sumner McLean, recommended Elizabeth Keckly to her. Mary interviewed Elizabeth Keckly, became impressed with her work, and entrusted her to make the dress. On the day of the party, Elizabeth returned with the dress to an upset Mary, who was concerned that she would be late for the reception. Elizabeth calmed her and convinced her to wear the dress. After putting it on, President Abraham Lincoln entered the room and, declared upon seeing her: “You look charming in that dress. Mrs. Keckly has met with great success.”

Mary went on to hire Elizabeth as her personal modiste (dressmaker). Over the next four years, Elizabeth Keckly made many dresses for Mary Lincoln. The two women also grew close after the deaths of their sons. George Keckly enlisted in the Union army (as he passed for a white man) and died at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek on August 10, 1861. Mary helped comfort Elizabeth after his death. Six months later, Willie Lincoln died in the White House, likely from typhoid fever. Elizabeth helped Mary through this difficult time and accompanied her on her trips to New York City.

Elizabeth Keckly also helped many self-emancipated people who entered Washington, DC to seek their freedom. To assist them, she founded the Contraband Relief Association. This organization helped the many camps of escaped enslaved people scattered throughout the city. Abraham and Mary Lincoln helped her in these efforts by donating money to the relief organization. She also met with many prominent abolitionists, including Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth. Keckly arranged a meeting between Sojourner Truth and Abraham Lincoln in 1864.

On the evening of April 14, 1865, Elizabeth Keckly learned that Abraham Lincoln had been shot at Ford's Theatre. She immediately rushed to the White House. The soldiers guarding the White House refused her entry and provided her little information. Mary, a few blocks east in the city, asked for Mrs. Keckly to come to the Petersen Boarding House. Three messengers went looking for her, but all went to the wrong address. Elizabeth returned to the White House the following morning to a grieving Mary who asked her, "Why did you not come to me last night, Elizabeth -- I sent for you?" Keckly responded, "I did try to come to you, but I could not find you."

Over the next two years, Elizabeth Keckly remained an important part of Mary Lincoln’s life. She accompanied Mary to Chicago on the funeral train, helping to comfort her during this difficult time. By 1867, Elizabeth Keckly had returned to Washington, DC when Mary Lincoln again asked for her help in New York City. Following President Lincoln’s death, Mary fell into substantial debt. She asked Mrs. Keckly to help her raise some money by selling some of her possessions. Keckly aided her in this effort, but it ended in scandal. The media criticized Mary for going against Victorian principles by selling her wardrobe and other items. To help Mary, Elizabeth Keckly also wrote to other prominent African American leaders, including Frederick Douglass, to raise money. She also placed some of Abraham Lincoln’s possessions on a tour to help raise more funds. Unfortunately, Mary had not agreed to this exhibition and became upset by it. Their friendship began to sour.

In 1868, Elizabeth Keckly decided to write about her life and her side of the story in an autobiography. She titled it Behind the Scenes, Or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House . In this autobiography, Keckly covered her enslaved life and the years she spent in the White House. She immediately faced criticism. The media criticized the book for going into intimate details of her friendship with Mary Lincoln, arguing that it violated the norms of society. Mary Lincoln expressed her anger about the book, as it included the dress-selling scandal. Keckly explained in the preface that she was trying to show Mary in a sympathetic light, but to no avail. The two never spoke again. Robert Lincoln, embarrassed by the scandal, used his influence to halt publication of the book, and few copies were sold. The book’s scandal damaged Elizabeth Keckly’s reputation, and she lost many of her clients.

Despite these challenges, Elizabeth Keckly continued to work as dressmaker for decades. In 1892, she accepted a faculty position at Wilberforce University in Ohio as head of the Department of Sewing and Domestic Science Arts. After a stroke the following year, she resigned and returned to Washington, DC. She lived her remaining years at the National Home for Destitute Colored Women and Children , which she had helped to found years earlier. Elizabeth Keckly died on May 26, 1907. She was buried in Columbian Harmony Cemetery in the District of Columbia. When Columbian Harmony closed in 1959, all of the remains, including Keckly’s, were moved to National Harmony Memorial Park in Landover Maryland. Elizabeth Keckly's new grave was unmarked until 2010. That year, a new bronze and granite marker was placed and dedicated to the memory of this remarkable woman.

Today, Laura Keene is mostly remembered for being at Ford’s Theatre the night of the Lincoln assassination. However, history should remember her for the entire trailblazing, exciting, and fulfilling life she led as an actress, theatre manager, mother, and entrepreneurial woman.

On July 20, 1826, Mary Frances Moss was born in London, England. After her husband was exiled and imprisoned for unknown reasons in Australia, Mary Frances wanted to reinvent herself. She sought an independent life that allowed her to care for herself and her two daughters. With the support and inspiration of her aunt, a retired English actress, she decided to pursue a life on stage. Acting was not a respectable profession then, though, particularly for a single mother. For this reason, as well as the need for a fresh start, she changed her identity and became known as Laura Keene.

Laura Keene made her debut in England on October 8, 1851, in Richmond, on the southwest side of London. She successfully played the tragic role of Juliet in Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet . Twenty days later, she made her London debut at the Theatre Royal as the leading role in The Lady of Lyons . Within a year, her outstanding presence on stage caught the attention of James Wallack, an American actor and theatre manager. He invited Laura to be the leading actress at his theatre in New York City, and she eagerly accepted the offer. While it meant leaving her children with her mother for a short time, it was an opportunity to get her family out of London, an unhealthy place for the working class.

After the president’s death, Laura returned to the theatre and then her hotel room. There, her husband John Lutz and her daughter Emma comforted her. Despite this harrowing experience, Laura tried to return to normal and continued with her scheduled tour. She and two other actors in her company, John Dyott and Harry Hawk, were on the train heading towards their next show when police stopped them in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and arrested them. Many people suspected that other actors could have been involved in John Wilkes Booth's conspiracy. They were also witnesses to the assassination and had not obtained proper permission to leave DC. Laura was eventually released and carried on with her tour. She was hesitant to perform Our American Cousin ever again, though. She quickly encountered people eager to see her dress with President Lincoln’s blood on it. These curiosity seekers disturbed her so much that she wrapped up the dress and delivered it to Jamie Bullock, the designer. The dress stayed in his possession in Chicago until Laura’s death, upon which it was returned to her daughter, Emma. Today, only pieces of her dress still exist.

Like everyone who happened to be at Ford’s Theatre that tragic night, Laura’s life was altered following it. For many years, she wrapped up her tours early to rest at her and John’s Riverside Lawn home in Acushnet, Massachusetts. Laura’s life was even more severely changed when John Lutz suddenly died in 1869. Not only did she miss him, but his death led to her financial demise. John had always protected her from those who might do her harm in the theatre business. According to Emma, Laura’s troubles began when John died, because “no one can be in front of the theatre and playing at the back, too, and the consequence is, if they have no relative in the box office, they are both mismanaged and robbed.”

Despite it all, Laura continued to strive for success in the theatre, even if it proved unfruitful. For example, she managed the Chestnut Theatre in Philadelphia. Her competition there was none other than Edwin Booth, who managed the Walnut Theatre. The Chestnut Theatre was in the midst of a renovation, though, and the season was cut short due to financial burdens. During this time, Laura also helped Colonel T. Allston Brown, editor of the New York Clipper, develop the ingenious idea of a touring system. She selected the actors and arranged performances at southern theatres left empty following the Civil War. The idea proved successful, but it took off too quickly. The system collapsed when Laura could not keep up with the personal and financial demands. Laura’s idea may have inspired the distribution system of motion pictures.

Although it has taken some time for history to properly acknowledge and remember Laura Keene, that should not diminish her accomplishments or historical importance. Her unlimited talents and energy and her fierce determination to achieve her hopes and dreams made her a successful leading actress and theatre manager. She is an inspiring historical figure, and one well worth remembering at Ford’s Theatre.

In the two weeks following the assassination of President Lincoln, federal agents worked to determine who was responsible for the heinous crime. Hundreds of people were detained, questioned, and in some cases imprisoned. The investigators settled on ten individuals they believed were responsible for the assassination. One, John Wilkes Booth himself, was cornered and killed at the Garrett farm in Virginia on April 26, 1865. Another, John Surratt, had fled the country. He did not stand trial until 1867. The remaining eight were charged in the conspiracy and tried by a military tribunal. Six of the eight had their pictures taken by photographer Alexander Gardner during this time. Gardner took the images aboard the ironclad ship USS Montauk, where the conspirators were imprisoned, to document their appearances. The trial lasted for seven weeks as 366 witnesses gave testimony. At the conclusion, four of the accused were sentenced to death by hanging. The other four were imprisoned. Mudd, Arnold, and O'Laughlen received life sentences of hard labor. Ned Spangler received a sentence of six years' hard labor. Authorities questioned several others who may have assisted Booth in the plot or in his escape. Many people were released due to a lack of evidence against them.

The German-born Atzerodt was a carriage painter and boatman. He had often ferried Confederate spies and supplies across the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia. Booth recruited Atzerodt for his knowledge of the waterways and his ability to handle a boat. Both would be useful skills for transporting a kidnapped President Lincoln to Richmond. After Booth's plans changed from kidnapping to murder, he assigned Atzerodt to kill Vice President Andrew Johnson. Johnson was staying at the Kirkwood House Hotel, a few blocks from Ford's Theatre. Atzerodt lost his nerve, drinking heavily at the hotel's bar and wandering the streets of the city through the night. Atzerodt fled Washington and was arrested on April 20, apprehended at the house of his cousin Hartman Richter in Germantown, MD. Atzerodt was tried and convicted for conspiracy to commit murder. He was executed by hanging on July 7, 1865. He is buried in an unmarked grave at Glenwood Cemetery, Washington, DC.

Before April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth was best known as a famous actor from a renowned theatrical family. His father, Junius Brutus Booth, and two of his brothers, Junius Jr. and Edwin, were also acclaimed performers. John Wilkes Booth wanted the Confederacy to win the American Civil War. He believed in the righteousness of slavery and of white supremacy. Booth saw Abraham Lincoln as a tyrant, destroying the societal structure of the South through war and emancipation. In 1864, he began assembling a ring of conspirators with the goal of kidnapping the president. He and his men would bring Lincoln to Richmond to turn the war in the Confederacy's favor. Though he plotted for several months, Booth's kidnapping scheme never came to fruition.

With the Civil War reaching its end in April 1865, John Wilkes Booth decided that kidnapping Lincoln was no longer good enough. On April 14, he learned that the president would be attending that evening's production of Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre. He reassembled his conspirators and shared with them his new plan to murder Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Secretary of State William Seward that evening. Booth shot President Lincoln in the back of the head during the play at about 10:15 pm. He jumped onto the stage and yelled "Sic Semper Tyrannis," Latin for "Thus always to tyrants," at the audience. This stated his belief that he had eliminated the American Julius Caesar. Booth escaped the theatre, heading on the run for the next twelve days with his fellow conspirator David Herold. The two were tracked down by Federal forces on April 26, 1865 at the Richard Garrett farm in Virginia. Booth refused to surrender and was ultimately shot dead by a Union soldier. Booth's body was initially buried in secret by the federal government. His remains were returned to the Booth family in 1869. The assassin now rests in an unmarked section of the Booth family plot at Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland. Click here for more frequently asked questions on John Wilkes Booth's life and actions. Click here to follow John Wilkes Booth's escape day by day in maps and stories.

David Herold first met Booth in 1863 after a performance at Ford's Theatre. Herold was friends with George Atzerodt and John Surratt and met Michael O'Laughlen through Atzerodt. His role in the assassination plot was to guide Powell to Secretary of State Seward’s home, then aid his escape out of the city. He fled after hearing the screams coming from the Seward home following Powell's attack. He met up with Booth in Maryland and stayed with Booth until his capture at Garrett's farm. Union authorities brought Herold back to Washington, DC. for trial. During the trial, Herold's lawyers described him as dull-witted and simple-minded. They attempted to convince the court that he was easily duped by Booth and should not be held responsible for his role. Herold had actually studied pharmacy at Georgetown and worked as a druggist's assistant. His answers to an interrogator suggested a quick and agile mind. David Herold was convicted and hanged July 7, 1865. He is buried in Congressional Cemetery, Washington, DC. His gravesite is marked only by the tombstone of his sister, buried beside him.

Mary Surratt was a Confederate sympathizer and widower in 1865. Her son, John Surratt, Jr., was a key member of John Wilkes Booth's conspiracy. Mrs. Surratt owned two important properties: a tavern in Maryland and a boarding house in downtown Washington, DC. Booth and his conspirators often met at the boarding house to plan the kidnapping, and eventually the assassination, of Abraham Lincoln. President Andrew Johnson called Mrs. Surratt's boarding house “the nest that hatched the egg.” Both Lewis Powell and George Atzerodt also boarded there briefly. Following the assassination, John Wilkes Booth and David Herold stopped for supplies at the Surratt Tavern in Surrattsville (now Clinton), Maryland. They met John M. Lloyd, who was leasing the tavern from Mrs. Surratt. Earlier on the day of the assassination, she rode down to the tavern and handed Lloyd a package that Booth had given her earlier that morning. According to Lloyd, she asked him to “have those shooting irons ready,” referring to guns hidden behind a false wall of the tavern. Due mainly to Lloyd's testimony, she received the death sentence for conspiring to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Five members of the military tribunal asked that President Johnson grant her clemency on account of her age and sex. Johnson denied their request. Mary Surratt died by hanging on July 7, 1865. She was the first woman executed by the federal government in the United States. Her guilt or innocence, and the appropriateness of her death sentence, has been much debated by historians. She is buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Washington, DC. The Surratt boarding house still stands today at 604 H Street NW, Washington DC. It is currently in use as a Chinese restaurant and karaoke bar.