David Edgar Herold had a unique role among John Wilkes Booth’s conspirators. Beyond the failed abduction plot and the assassination itself, Davy was the only individual who accompanied John Wilkes Booth throughout his escape. Though given ample opportunities to leave Booth behind and make his own, swifter escape, Davy Herold stayed by Booth’s side. While many authors have tried to downplay Davy’s intelligence and character (Gore Vidal personified this when he described inventing, “a low life for him,” in his book, Lincoln), with the devotion he demonstrated, Davy Herold may very well be the most complex of all of Booth’s associates.
Our newest Picture Gallery here on BoothieBarn consists of images relating to the life of David Herold. The images show snapshots of his life before Booth, his involvement in Booth’s plot and their shared escape south, his capture at the Garrett’s farm, the trial of the conspirators, and his eventual execution on July 7th, 1865. Click here to see the new David Herold Picture Gallery!
LincolnConspirators.com 
Dave,
I have been slow in recuperating from the Surratt conference and have not kept up with BoothieBarn the way I should. However, I must say here and now that your hard work and great knowledge is certainly benefiting our field of study. Between BoothieBarn and Roger Norton’s Lincoln Discussion Symposium, our field of interest has certainly produced two winners within the past few months. Here’s to many more years…
Thank you, Laurie. I know how you feel regarding the conference. I still haven’t been able to bring myself to do any real research since then. That’s why I’ve been cheating by adding these Picture Galleries instead!
Hi, Dave–
It just happens that the pine thicket portion of the Booth/Herold escape is the aspect that, for some reason, fascinates me most. I can’t imagine what an uncomfortable situation that must have been. That’s why I sometimes wonder if the two didn’t stay somewhere in that area that never was revealed.
Having written a ton of short stuff over the years, while editing newspapers and magazines, I found writing a novel was a whole different breed of cat. It took me a couple of years to write it, then another couple of months polishing it, then I set it aside for four years and took another two months polishing it. Finally, I said, “To heck with it” and stuck it on Amazon/Kindle.
I sometimes wonder how J.R.R. Tolkien could have finished what he did in one lifetime!!!
Best regards–
–Jim