Lewis Thornton Powell Conspirator who assassinated US Secretary of State William Henry Seward Date of Birth: 22.05.1844 Country: USA

Biography of Lewis Powell

Lewis Thornton Powell, also known as Lewis Paine or Payne, was born in 1844 in Randolph County, Alabama. He was the youngest of nine children of missionary and Baptist minister George Cader. Lewis was homeschooled and from a young age, he was introverted, lonely, and had a strong desire for knowledge. In fact, his older siblings gave him the nickname 'Doc' due to his love for learning.

When Lewis was 15 years old, his family moved to Florida, and at the age of 17, he left home and volunteered for the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. In 1863, Lewis was wounded in the hand and later captured during the brutal Battle of Gettysburg. Despite being a prisoner, he managed to escape and rejoined the army.

After the war, Lewis settled in Washington, where he began using the surname Powell instead of Payne. It was there that he became acquainted with and bonded with fervent critics of President Abraham Lincoln's administration, including actor John Wilkes Booth. Joining this circle of conspirators, Lewis soon became one of the key figures in a daring and treacherous plan to assassinate the president and members of his government.

On April 14, 1865, the conspirators learned that Lincoln would be attending a play at Ford's Theatre. Powell, along with David Herold, was assigned to kill Secretary of State William Seward, while Booth was to assassinate the president. Another conspirator, George Atzerodt, was tasked with killing Vice President Andrew Johnson. The attacks were planned to occur simultaneously at around 10:15 PM.

Following the plan, Powell entered William Seward's home at the designated time. However, his attempt failed, and the attack did not result in Seward's death. Although several knife strikes were undoubtedly dangerous, the Secretary of State survived. Interestingly, Powell was aided by Seward's eldest son, who also ended up being injured. Meanwhile, John Wilkes Booth successfully carried out his part of the plan, assassinating President Abraham Lincoln. Atzerodt completely failed in his mission, as he hesitated, got drunk, and was unable to carry out his intended act.

All the conspirators were apprehended after the assassination attempt, including their accomplices, such as Mary Surratt. Lewis Powell attempted to hide in the woods for some time but was eventually arrested. Booth was shot and killed during his attempt to escape at the time of his arrest.

The trial sentenced the criminals to death by hanging. Therefore, on July 7, 1865, Lewis Powell, George Atzerodt, and David Herold were executed at the Washington Penitentiary.

In 1992, Lewis Powell's skull was examined at the Smithsonian Anthropology Department. Later, it was returned to Powell's descendants and buried next to his mother's grave at the Geneva Cemetery in Seminole County, Florida.