On the night of Lincoln's shooting, Secretary of State William Seward (above) was home in bed, ill. A servant of Seward's answered an evening knock at the door by Lewis Powell, who claimed to be delivering medicine to the ailing government official (via CBS). After being denied entry, the visitor charged through the front door. His path blocked by one of Seward's sons, the intruder brandished a revolver and tried to fire it. It misfired, so he hit Seward's son with it instead. 

Now brandishing a knife, the intruder made his way to the senior Seward's room. He managed to stab him twice, before being himself attacked by Seward's other son and a bodyguard. In a panic, the would-be assassin managed to stab or strike eight people. Fortunately, all survived their injuries (via CBS).

While Powell managed to escape, he was later apprehended at a boarding house owned by Mary Surratt. Federal agents were at Surratt's boarding house questioning her about Booth, whom officials knew she was well acquainted with. Powell, hurt and in blood-soaked clothing, was placed under arrest (via CBS).

When word of Seward's attack reached Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, Stanton feared there was a massive attack on high-ranking government officials. He ordered the city locked down, and sent hundreds of federal agents to various positions around the nation's capitol (via History Collection). Meanwhile, Vice President Andrew Johnson slept quietly in his room at Kirkwood House. Another would-be assassin was preparing to kill him in his sleep. 

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