748:
743:
239:
254:, 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. With the incoming First Lady not present at the inauguration, and Pierce's vice-president
222:
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.
269:, believed that the accident was a punishment from God as a result of Franklin Pierce continuing his political aspirations against her wishes. Franklin Pierce also believed that the accident was a form of punishment from God so he refused to use a Bible when giving his
217:
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"), one of the train
226:
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.
249:
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
280:, 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
194:, who had previously urged her husband to retire from politics. 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
519:"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"
795:
474:
422:
780:
668:
230:
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.
79:
259:
183:
544:
170:
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
708:
613:
580:
31:
661:
158:
451:
287:
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
770:
346:
790:
751:
747:
742:
654:
775:
597:
720:
393:
726:
738:
210:
either to attend a funeral or as a vacation for the holidays. On
January 6 of that year, the family was returning to
316:
785:
368:
518:
702:
211:
207:
67:
714:
623:
605:
609:
576:
342:
601:
187:
636:
255:
243:
171:
36:
496:
270:
764:
646:
251:
30:
570:
277:
191:
40:
238:
114:
569:
Schneider, Dorothy; Schneider, Carl J. (2010). "Jane Means
Appleton Pierce".
94:
81:
288:
281:
266:
195:
237:
16:
Rail accident that resulted in the death of
Franklin Pierce's son
219:
650:
545:"William R. King First Senator to Gain Vice Presidential Offer"
198:. Benjamin Pierce was their sole child, aged 11 at the time.
394:"Pierce, Benjamin (son of President Franklin Pierce)"
689:
149:
141:
133:
128:
120:
110:
73:
63:
53:
48:
23:
190:. The election victory put an emotional strain on
423:"Dalton column: Death of a boy, and a presidency"
796:Railway accidents and incidents in Massachusetts
598:"Personal Loss and Franklin Pierce's Presidency"
575:(3rd ed.). Facts on File. pp. 88–94.
258:also unable to attend due to tuberculosis, the
369:"TBT: President Franklin Pierce's Train Wreck"
662:
339:Franklin Pierce: New Hampshire's Favorite Son
8:
452:"Franklin Pierce was our saddest president"
317:"The Train Wreck That Derailed a President"
669:
655:
647:
398:Andover Answers from Memorial Hall Library
29:
20:
781:Transportation disasters in Massachusetts
606:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190650759.003.0004
276:When Jane Pierce finally moved into the
206:In 1853, the Pierce family was visiting
572:First Ladies: A Biographical Dictionary
300:
632:
621:
284:in an effort to communicate with him.
7:
445:
443:
416:
414:
362:
360:
358:
310:
308:
306:
304:
159:List of rail accidents (before 1880)
475:"Franklin Pierce's life of tragedy"
450:Cillizza, Chris (August 12, 2016).
367:Glatter, Hayley (January 4, 2018).
473:Perry, June Gayle (May 11, 2022).
14:
421:Dalton, Bill (January 17, 2013).
746:
741:
596:Holt, Michael F. (April 2017).
721:Valley Falls, Rhode Island, US
1:
182:In 1852, Franklin Pierce was
168:Franklin Pierce rail accident
24:Franklin Pierce rail accident
497:"Jane Means Appleton Pierce"
703:Wheeling, West Virginia, US
812:
697:Andover, Massachusetts, US
337:Wallner, Peter A. (2004).
43:, pictured with his mother
771:Railway accidents in 1853
736:
677:Railway accidents in 1853
252:presidential inauguration
157:
28:
715:Norwalk, Connecticut, US
35:Benjamin Pierce, son of
791:Andover, Massachusetts
631:Cite journal requires
291:of the liver in 1869.
265:Jane Pierce, raised a
246:
212:Concord, New Hampshire
208:Andover, Massachusetts
68:Andover, Massachusetts
776:1853 in Massachusetts
709:Chicago, Illinois, US
499:. History Central.com
242:Then president-elect
241:
95:42.67139°N 71.14278°W
549:United States Senate
234:Effect on Presidency
184:elected as president
100:42.67139; -71.14278
91: /
525:. January 21, 1853
247:
214:, their hometown.
758:
757:
727:Straffan, Ireland
690:Location and date
615:978-0-19-065075-9
582:978-1-4381-0815-5
477:. The News Leader
454:. Washington Post
164:
163:
803:
750:
745:
684:
682:
671:
664:
657:
648:
641:
640:
634:
629:
627:
619:
593:
587:
586:
566:
560:
559:
557:
555:
541:
535:
534:
532:
530:
515:
509:
508:
506:
504:
493:
487:
486:
484:
482:
470:
464:
463:
461:
459:
447:
438:
437:
435:
433:
427:Andover Townsman
418:
409:
408:
406:
404:
390:
384:
383:
381:
379:
364:
353:
352:
334:
328:
327:
325:
323:
312:
188:Millard Fillmore
106:
105:
103:
102:
101:
96:
92:
89:
88:
87:
84:
57:January 6, 1853
33:
21:
811:
810:
806:
805:
804:
802:
801:
800:
786:Franklin Pierce
761:
760:
759:
754:
732:
685:
680:
678:
675:
645:
644:
630:
620:
616:
595:
594:
590:
583:
568:
567:
563:
553:
551:
543:
542:
538:
528:
526:
523:RAAB Collection
517:
516:
512:
502:
500:
495:
494:
490:
480:
478:
472:
471:
467:
457:
455:
449:
448:
441:
431:
429:
420:
419:
412:
402:
400:
392:
391:
387:
377:
375:
373:Boston Magazine
366:
365:
356:
349:
336:
335:
331:
321:
319:
315:Howe, Richard.
314:
313:
302:
297:
256:William R. King
244:Franklin Pierce
236:
204:
180:
172:Franklin Pierce
99:
97:
93:
90:
85:
82:
80:
78:
77:
58:
44:
17:
12:
11:
5:
809:
807:
799:
798:
793:
788:
783:
778:
773:
763:
762:
756:
755:
737:
734:
733:
731:
730:
724:
718:
712:
706:
700:
693:
691:
687:
686:
676:
674:
673:
666:
659:
651:
643:
642:
633:|journal=
614:
588:
581:
561:
536:
510:
488:
465:
439:
410:
385:
354:
347:
341:. Plaidswede.
329:
299:
298:
296:
293:
271:oath of office
262:was canceled.
260:inaugural ball
235:
232:
203:
200:
179:
176:
162:
161:
155:
154:
151:
147:
146:
143:
139:
138:
135:
131:
130:
126:
125:
122:
118:
117:
112:
108:
107:
75:
71:
70:
65:
61:
60:
55:
51:
50:
46:
45:
34:
26:
25:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
808:
797:
794:
792:
789:
787:
784:
782:
779:
777:
774:
772:
769:
768:
766:
753:
749:
744:
740:
735:
728:
725:
722:
719:
716:
713:
710:
707:
704:
701:
698:
695:
694:
692:
688:
672:
667:
665:
660:
658:
653:
652:
649:
638:
625:
617:
611:
607:
603:
599:
592:
589:
584:
578:
574:
573:
565:
562:
550:
546:
540:
537:
524:
520:
514:
511:
503:September 24,
498:
492:
489:
476:
469:
466:
453:
446:
444:
440:
428:
424:
417:
415:
411:
399:
395:
389:
386:
374:
370:
363:
361:
359:
355:
350:
348:9780975521632
344:
340:
333:
330:
318:
311:
309:
307:
305:
301:
294:
292:
290:
285:
283:
279:
274:
272:
268:
263:
261:
257:
253:
245:
240:
233:
231:
228:
224:
221:
215:
213:
209:
201:
199:
197:
193:
189:
185:
177:
175:
173:
169:
160:
156:
152:
148:
144:
140:
136:
132:
127:
123:
119:
116:
113:
111:Incident type
109:
104:
76:
72:
69:
66:
62:
56:
52:
47:
42:
38:
32:
27:
22:
19:
696:
624:cite journal
591:
571:
564:
552:. Retrieved
548:
539:
527:. Retrieved
522:
513:
501:. Retrieved
491:
479:. Retrieved
468:
456:. Retrieved
430:. Retrieved
426:
401:. Retrieved
397:
388:
376:. Retrieved
372:
338:
332:
320:. Retrieved
286:
275:
264:
248:
229:
225:
216:
205:
181:
167:
165:
18:
729:(5 October)
723:(12 August)
699:(6 January)
554:February 6,
529:February 6,
481:February 6,
458:February 6,
432:February 6,
403:February 6,
378:February 6,
322:February 6,
278:White House
192:Jane Pierce
186:to succeed
124:Broken axle
98: /
74:Coordinates
41:Jane Pierce
765:Categories
711:(26 April)
705:(27 March)
295:References
178:Background
129:Statistics
115:Derailment
86:71°08′34″W
83:42°40′17″N
600:: 65–82.
289:cirrhosis
59:1:00 p.m.
202:Accident
142:Vehicles
64:Location
37:Franklin
717:(6 May)
679: (
282:séances
267:Puritan
49:Details
612:
579:
345:
196:typhus
150:Deaths
134:Trains
220:axles
121:Cause
752:1854
739:1852
681:1853
637:help
610:ISBN
577:ISBN
556:2024
531:2024
505:2006
483:2024
460:2024
434:2024
405:2023
380:2024
343:ISBN
324:2024
166:The
54:Date
39:and
602:doi
767::
628::
626:}}
622:{{
608:.
547:.
521:.
442:^
425:.
413:^
396:.
371:.
357:^
303:^
273:.
174:.
683:)
670:e
663:t
656:v
639:)
635:(
618:.
604::
585:.
558:.
533:.
507:.
485:.
462:.
436:.
407:.
382:.
351:.
326:.
153:1
145:2
137:1
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
