The Elbert County tribune., 1914-06-12
FATE OF PRESIDENTS SON
Only Child Of Franklin Pierce Was
Killed in Wreck Of Railway
Train.

In late Interview with the writer
Mrs. Wilhelmine NJ. Easby-Smith. in
telling OF events in the life of her
father. Capt William Easily. referred
TO the death of the only child of Pres
ident Pierce under the most distress
ing circumstances" In paper en-
titled Personal Recollections of Early
Washington and Sketch OF the Life
OF Capt. William Easby.' which Mrs.
Easby-Smith read before the Associa-
ton of the Oldest Inhabitants last
summer. there occurs the same refer
ence to the loss of President Pierce's
son and only child under the most
distressing circumstances" This refer
ence may be found in the following
paragraph which is quoted from the
paper In question:
The last position of Importance
which Captain Easily filled was that Of
commissioner OF public buildings.
believe that the duties which devolved
upon him are now distributed among
three officers. He was appointed by
President Taylor In 1S49 and held of
flee until the year after President
Pierce's Inauguration. When President
Pierce came into office he had just
lost under the most distressing circum-
stances his only child. SON Mrs.
Pierce's grief-stricken condition
aroused all my fathers sympathy and
when she expressed a wish for con-
servatory he had beautiful green
house built on the southeast OF the
White House in front of the stables.
There was some fund OF which the
commissioner had absolute control
which enabled him independently of
congress to crafty Mrs. Pierce's de-
sire. This was the first conservatory
at the White House"
The writer in one of his idle hours
undertook to look up the distressing
circumstances of the death of the only
son of President Pierce, and learned
that he was killed in a railroad wreck
on the Boston & Maine railroad near
Andover, in which wreck Mrs. Pierce
was seriously and Mr.. Pierce slightly
injured
The following account of the acci-
dent is taken from the National Intel
ligencer of Friday, January Z, 1853:
1t is with much regret that we hear
of a sad calamity which yesterday be-
fell the family of the president-elect of
the United States. The particulars of
this lamentable event. as communi-
Gated by telegraph. are that Mr.. and
Mrs. Pierce, accompanied by their
only son. from ten to twelve years of
age, were passengers in 81 train of cars
upon the Boston & Maine railroad
when by the breaking of an axle near
Andover the car which they occupied
was thrown off the track and precipi-
tated down an embankment some
twenty feet. turning a complete somer-
sault in its course and falling upon
pieces; the son of General Pierce was
killed upon the spot: Mrs. Pierce was
severely though not fatally injured,
and six or eight other persons were
more or less hurt. General Pierce es-
capped with but slight injury.
This terrible visitation is the more
deplorable as the fine boy thus SO sud
denly snatched from life was the
single remaining one of the only three
children with which the afflicted pa
rents have been blessed.
The whole country, we are sure,
will deeply sympathize with them in
the bereavement. whilst 1t will rejoice
that the parents themselves were pre-
served from the same terrible fate"