Pipkin Family Association

"Bill Pip" from "Recollections of a Rebel Reefer" by James Morris Morgan

They were a gay and reckless set of boys, but the "Brood of the Constitution" will be remembered as long as history is written. It was true that at that time we only had one hero amongst us - that we knew of - but others developed later.

Our hero at the time was a red-headed, freckled-faced, loose-jointed, slabsided, tall and lanky youth from the muliest regions of Missouri.

He first appeared on the deck of the Constitution dressed in coarse and baggy clothes set off by a huge green cravat tied in a monstrous bow-knot. He gazed around the deck in a supercilious sort of way, walked over to a hatchway and leaned against a windsail that was ventilating the berth deck, with the result that almost instantaneously he found himself three decks below where the thought he was.

We thought he had been killed but his long arms, which he had thrown around the windsail, saved him, as he had only slid the distance rather rapidly. Coming on deck, he informed us that he had slid down three stories.

He introduced himself by saying his name was William Pipkin, but that they always called him "Bill Pip" at home for short, and that he would be just as well pleased if we called him that as he was more accustomed to it. Needless to say we accomodated him.

He took a plug of tobacco out of his pocket, cut off a big hunk which he placed in his mouth, and then generously offered the exquisite and elegant officer of the deck, Lieutenant Robert Wainwright Scott, a chew, which was declined with a savage glare which would have caused heart failure in any of the rest of us, but which did not faze "Bill Pip."

Shortly after he had got into a uniform, some ladies among them the wives of some of the officers, visited the ship and remained aboard rather late. It was getting dark when they made a move to go ashore, and one of them expressed herself as being a little nervous about the long walk after reaching shore.

The gallant Lt. Upshur, who was executive officer of the ship, said that he was sure anyone of a number of midshipmen who were standing near would be delighted to accompany them, and unfortunately for him, he called on "Bill Pip" who was the tallest of the lot and said "Mr. Pipkin, I am sure you will be glad to escort these ladies." To the lieutenant's horror and amazement, the lanky boy replied, "I'm very sorry Mr. Upshur, but the last thing my mother said to me when I left home was 'Bill Pip you keep away from the women.'"

But who can foretell what a boy will turn out to be ? "Bill Pip" resigned at the outbreak of the Civil War and went South. He did not like the navy, and refused an appointment in that of the Confederacy. He enlisted in the army as a private but the navy still pursued him.

He was one of a number of artillerymen detailed to fill the complement of the Arkansas' crew and was in that vessel when she ran through the ironclad fleet above Vicksburg and the wooden sloops-of-war of Admiral Farragut's fleet below the city.

"Bill Pip" by his own gallantry and merits rose to the rank of full colonel in the army and after the war went into business, amassed a fortune, and died a millionaire.

[A note from the contributor: That millionaire bit, I believe is just an assumption. But one can't be sure since he was supposed to have been a miner. Silver or gold I imagine. At any rate, it looks good in writing if one cares about money. Did have millions of love that is, but never an abundance of that long green stuff. Elizabeth (Lib) P. Achle]