What personal tragedy overshadowed Franklin Pierce?

Answer 1

After having their first two children die as babies, on January 6, 1853 Pierce and his wife suffered the tragic loss of their last son, Benjamin. age 12. They all were riding in a train from Andover, NH, where they had spent the holidays ,when soon after they left the station, the car they were in became uncoupled from the train and rolled down an embankment. Benjamin must have hit his head or something- he was killed but nobody was injured. Franklin was the president elect, due to be sworn in March 4, about 8 weeks away. Mrs. Pierce who dreaded the move to Washington even before the tragedy never did fully recover from the shock of losing her last child. She stayed in her room at the White House and wrote letters to her dead son for several weeks.

Answer 2

The family tragedy that affected the inauguration of Franklin Pierce was the death of the President Elect's son. This child died in a train accident. This child was the last surviving child of Franklin Pierce and the death severely affected the President.