 On the morning of Good Friday , April 14 , 1865 , Booth went to Ford 's Theatre to get his mail ; while there he was told by John Ford 's brother that President and Mrs. Lincoln accompanied by Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant would be attending the play Our American Cousin at Ford 's Theatre that evening . He immediately set about making plans for the assassination , which included making arrangements with livery stable owner James W. Pumphrey for a getaway horse , and an escape route . Booth informed Powell , Herold , and Atzerodt of his intention to kill Lincoln . He assigned Powell to assassinate Secretary of State William H. Seward and Atzerodt to assassinate Vice President Andrew Johnson . Herold would assist in their escape into Virginia . 
