Washington, D.C., where Booth assigned roles. They would strike that very night, Booth said. Powell (accompanied by Herold) was to go to the home of Secretary of State William H. Seward and kill him. Atzerodt was to assassinate Vice President Andrew Johnson. Booth was to murder Lincoln at Ford's Theatre. The attack on Seward At about 10:10 p.m., the same time Booth made his way to the unguarded presidential box at Ford's Theater, Powell was escorted to the Seward residence on Lafayette Square near the White House by David Herold. Seward had been injured in a carriage accident on April 5, and suffered a concussion, broken jaw, broken right arm, and many serious bruises. Local newspapers reported that Seward was at home convalescing, so Powell and Herold knew where to find him. Powell was armed with a Whitney revolver and large knife, and wore black pants, a long overcoat, a grey vest, a grey dress coat, and a hat with a wide brim. Herold waited outside, holding Powell's horse. Powell knocked and rang the bell, and the door was answered by William Bell, Seward's African American maitre d'. Holding up a small bottle, Powell claimed that Seward's physician, T. S. Verdi, had sent some medicine to the house. Bell was suspicious, as Verdi had departed the home only an hour earlier and left instructions for Seward not to be disturbed. Bell asked Powell to wait, but Powell pushed past him and began mounting the stairs to the second-floor bedrooms. Seward's son, Frederick W. Seward, appeared at the top of the steps. When Powell reached the second floor, he told Frederick that he was delivering medicine, but Frederick refused Powell's request. As Lewis Powell and Frederick bickered over the medicine story, Seward's daughter, Fanny Seward, stuck her head out of her father's bedroom door and warned the men that Seward was sleeping. She then returned to the bedroom. Once Fanny went into her father's bedroom, Frederick asked Powell to leave. Powell was about to take a few steps, but he pulled out his revolver and pulled the trigger with the barrel of the gun against Frederick's head. The revolver misfired, and Powell pistol-whipped Frederick, knocking him to the floor. Bell fled the house, screaming "Murder! Murder!", and raced to the office of General Christopher C. Augur next door for help. Powell drew out his knife and burst through Seward's bedroom door.