The Franklin Pierce rail accident was a train derailment in the US on January 6, 1853, that resulted in the death of Benjamin Pierce, the only living son of US president-elect Franklin Pierce.
| Franklin Pierce rail accident | |
|---|---|
 Benjamin Pierce, son of Franklin and Jane Pierce, pictured with his mother | |
| Details | |
| Date | January 6, 1853 1:00 p.m. |
| Location | Andover, Massachusetts |
| Coordinates | 42°40′17″N 71°08′34″W / 42.67139°N 71.14278°W |
| Incident type | Derailment |
| Cause | Broken axle |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Vehicles | 2 |
| Deaths | 1 |
| List of rail accidents (before 1880) | |
Background
editIn 1852, Franklin Pierce was elected as president to succeed Millard Fillmore. The election victory put an emotional strain on Jane Pierce, who had previously urged her husband to retire from politics.[1] Franklin and Jane Pierce had previously lost two of their three sons; Franklin Jr. died in infancy while Frank Robert died at age four due to typhus. Benjamin Pierce was their sole child, aged 11 at the time.[2]: 241–244
Accident
editIn 1853, the Pierce family was visiting Andover, Massachusetts either to attend a funeral or as a vacation for the holidays. On January 6 of that year, the family was returning to Concord, New Hampshire, their hometown.[1][3]
Pierce and his family boarded a train carrying two cars and began their travel back to New Hampshire. At around 1:00 p.m., three miles away from the Andover station (with one possible location being cited as "between Argyle and Arundel Street"[4]), one of the train axles became fractured after running into some rocks that had fallen onto the tracks. The coach that Pierce and his family were in then derailed and fell down an embankment that was between 15 and 20 feet below, destroying the car. Benjamin, who was standing up at the time, was the only fatality.[1][3][5]
While Franklin and Jane did not sustain any severe injuries, Franklin immediately saw that Benjamin had been nearly decapitated as a result of the wreck and covered up his son's body with cloth so that Jane would not have to see it.[6][7]
News of the accident spread across the nation, but it was initially (and incorrectly) reported that Franklin Pierce was also among the fatalities of the wreck.[8]
Effect on Presidency
edit
Both Franklin and Jane were visibly affected by the accident. Pierce was described as being emotionally drained when his presidency began, while Jane was so distraught from the event that she did not attend the presidential inauguration,[3] nor was she able to attend Benjamin's burial in Concord. In a personal letter, Franklin Pierce wrote that the accident had left him crushed, but he still felt an obligation to pursue his duties as the president.[9] With the incoming First Lady not present at the inauguration, and Pierce's vice-president William R. King also unable to attend due to tuberculosis,[10] the inaugural ball was canceled.[1]
Jane Pierce, raised a Puritan, believed that the accident was a punishment from God as a result of Franklin Pierce continuing his political aspirations against her wishes.[11]: 91 Franklin Pierce also believed that the accident was a form of punishment from God so he refused to use a Bible when giving his oath of office.[6]
When Jane Pierce finally moved into the White House, she spent a majority of her husband's presidency grieving and hiding upstairs. She allegedly wore all black for the rest of her life, spent time sending letters to her deceased son, Benjamin, and even held séances in an effort to communicate with him.[5]
It is believed that this accident, as well as the death of his wife Jane in 1863, accelerated his drinking habits. Pierce would die of cirrhosis of the liver in 1869.[12]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Howe, Richard. "The Train Wreck That Derailed a President". Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ Wallner, Peter A. (2004). Franklin Pierce: New Hampshire's Favorite Son. Plaidswede. ISBN 9780975521632.
- ^ a b c Glatter, Hayley (January 4, 2018). "TBT: President Franklin Pierce's Train Wreck". Boston Magazine. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ "Pierce, Benjamin (son of President Franklin Pierce)". Andover Answers from Memorial Hall Library. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
- ^ a b Dalton, Bill (January 17, 2013). "Dalton column: Death of a boy, and a presidency". Andover Townsman. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ a b Cillizza, Chris (August 12, 2016). "Franklin Pierce was our saddest president". Washington Post. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ Perry, June Gayle (May 11, 2022). "Franklin Pierce's life of tragedy". The News Leader. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ "Jane Means Appleton Pierce". History Central.com. Retrieved September 24, 2006.
- ^ "In the Wake of His Last Living Child's Gruesome Death in a Tragic Train Accident, President-elect Franklin Pierce Writes the City of Boston Withdrawing His Agreement to Attend a Reception in His Honor". RAAB Collection. January 21, 1853. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ "William R. King First Senator to Gain Vice Presidential Offer". United States Senate. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ Schneider, Dorothy; Schneider, Carl J. (2010). "Jane Means Appleton Pierce". First Ladies: A Biographical Dictionary (3rd ed.). Facts on File. pp. 88–94. ISBN 978-1-4381-0815-5.
- ^ Holt, Michael F. (April 2017). "Personal Loss and Franklin Pierce's Presidency": 65–82. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190650759.003.0004. ISBN 978-0-19-065075-9.
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