These men were assigned the task of killing two other government leaders. john surratt lewis powell george atzerodt david herold

Lewis Powell was given the task of killing Seward. He was assisted by David Herold, who guided Powell to Seward's home and kept horses ready for the escape. Powell severely injured Seward, and Herold fled before Powell could exit the Seward home. Powell lost his way in the city, and three days later arrived at a boarding house run by Mary Surratt, mother of co-conspirator John Surratt.

The statistics for the eastern war are grim. more than three-million men died in the fighting, more than nine-million men were wounded, and every major country which participated lost its form of government.