With
Union victory imminent, Booth and his conspirators, including
Lewis Powell,
David Herold, and
George Atzerodt, originally plotted to kidnap Lincoln to aid the Confederacy. After that plan failed to materialize, they decided to
assassinate him,
Secretary of State William H. Seward, and
Vice President Andrew Johnson. Booth hoped that eliminating the three most important officials of the
federal government would revive the Confederate cause. Powell and Herold were assigned to kill Seward, while Atzerodt was assigned to kill Johnson. Booth succeeded in killing Lincoln, but Powell only managed to wound Seward, while Atzerodt became drunk and never targeted Johnson.