Blockade runners of the confederacy alabama fire ant. Blockade runners of the confederacy by hamilton cochran. Generations of historians and civil war buffs have considered it invaluable. British blockade runners in the american civil war. He recounted his service with the confederacy in life in the confederate army. Smart news keeping you current civil war blockade runner found in north carolina waters sonar scan finds possible remains of a confederate steamship used to outrun. Feb 06, 2005 blockade runners of the confederacy, first published in 1958, offered the first indepth look at the dashing figures, spies, and fast ships that ran the blockade, as well as an overall assessment of the blockades conception, effectiveness, and impact on the southern populace. This was particularly galling to southerners because at first the blockade was not very effective. List of books and articles about confederate army u. Within four weeks of the fall of fort sumter, president abraham lincoln had declared a blockade of over four thousand mi. Confederate blockade runners and trade routes cleanan press. The blockade runners of the american civil war were specially outfitted confederate ships designed to slip through the blockade of southern by the union navy during the american civil war. The importance of the blockade runners in the civil war essay.
The daring exploits of confederate blockade runners are well knownbut many of them were british. The blockade runners is an 1865 novella by jules verne. A decent overview of the federal naval blockade of the confederacy, the various rebel attempts to break the blockade, and the saga of the css alabama, the most successful american commerce raider in american history. The area from the mouth of the cape fear river down to sunset beach and tubbs inlet saw a good deal of naval action between blockade runners of the confederacy and gunboats of the union navy. Built for a special mission at a brief moment in time, they faded into history after the war. Confederate raiders such as the alabama destroyed northern commerce and the blockade runners brought as much as they could out of and into the south. The book gives a short history of how the start of the war and the actions of the federal government left the door open for blockade business which was the lifeline of the south. The ship was built in glasgow, scotland in 1864 by the firm crenshaw and company. Gray phantoms of the cape fear tells the story of their captains, their crews, their cargoes, their opponents, and their many unbelievable escapes. This book is the classic book on the subject, reprinted from the edition of 1958. These manifests are from blockade runners traveling from bermuda to the confederate states, and they were found in the custom house at st. Playfair can only follow his heart and helps the girl in her quest to rescue her imprisoned father from the confederates. The union blockade in the american civil war was a naval strategy by the united states to prevent the confederacy from trading the blockade was proclaimed by president abraham lincoln in april 1861, and required the monitoring of 3,500 miles 5,600 km of atlantic and gulf coastline, including 12 major ports, notably new orleans and mobile. Blockade runners of the confederacy by hamilton cochran, 9780817351694, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide.
Supplies brought into the south through the blockade included 60 percent of the weapons used by the confederate armies and most of the ingredients needed to manufacture. British blockade runners in the american civil war mcfarland. The effectiveness of the blockade increased after early union victories along the coast, elevating the risk of capture. The whole area of the confederacy known as kirbysmiths confederacy, the south west of the mississippi was lost. Bat, stag, and owl a sister ship, ow l, belonged to a new class of blockaderunners that appeared toward the close of the war. The confederate states were largely without industrial capability and could not provide the quantity of arms and other supplies needed to fight against. Blockade runners of the confederacy new york, ny, 1958 bobbsmerrill company gardiner, robert ed. Blockade runners of the confederacy is short overview of the unions blockade of southern ports during the american civil war. Blockade runner armstrong and michael philip usina, csa navy. The blockade was proclaimed by president abraham lincoln in april 1861, and required the closure of 3,500 miles 5,600 km of atlantic and gulf coastline, including 12 major ports, notably new orleans and mobile, alabama. Blockade runners of the confederacy, first published in 1958, offered the first indepth look at the dashing figures, spies, and fast ships that ran the blockade. To get through the blockade these ships had to cruise by undetected, usually at night. Using log books, personal papers, and business memoranda, he sought to write a plain. Blockade runner atalanta blockade runners mine creek.
The few ports that remained for the confederacy were even more important. On april 19, 1861, one week after confederate forces attacked fort sumter, president abraham lincoln ordered the blockade. Nov 04, 2016 the career of one of the confederacys last blockaderunners ended peacefully, if anticlimactically. Read blockade runners of the confederacy by hamilton cochran available from rakuten kobo. If spotted the runners would then attempt to outmaneuver or. Cochrans 1958 volume profiles sailors who risked life and limb to supply confederate troops. The importance of the blockade runners in the civil war blockade runners enabled the confederacy to survive for as long as it did. Blockade runners of the american civil war wikipedia. In response, professional runners, lured by both profits and patriotism, built faster.
A readable, exciting chronicle of the men and ships that ran federal naval blockades during the civil war. Blockade runners of the confederacy cochran, hamilton. Feb 28, 2005 blockade runners of the confederacy by hamilton cochran, 9780817351694, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Apr 11, 2020 blockade winstonsalem, nc, 1998 john f. Note that these do not include the confederate raiders such as the css alabama. Civil war blockade runner found in north carolina waters.
The intro is not only a summary but also a concise historiography of the blockade. Blockade runners of the confederacy hamilton cochran, robert m. The blockade runners were not armed, they were merchant ships carrying cargo back and forth in a desparate time. On september 24, 1863, the blockade runner elizabeth was sunk by gunfire from a union gunboat directly off holden beach. The trade routes for vital commodities headed to or from the confederate blockade runners at murrells inlet during the war between the states developed into long, intricate, and often arduous pathways. May 12, 2011 the blockade runner armstrong was a 230footlong iron sidewheel steamship. The book was produced as a radio play of the same name in 2006. The union captured port royal and set up a naval blockade of charleston harbor. Blockade runners of the american civil war military wiki. On 16 april 1861, during the american civil war, president abraham lincoln proclaimed a naval blockade of the confederacys 3,500 miles of coastline. Blue and grey cloth, pictorial priceclipped dust jacket.
The story of the running of the blockade into and out of the ports of the confederacy during the civil war is a highly colorful one. There had never been ships like the blockade runners, and their kind will never be seen again. Blockade runners of the american civil war simple english. Without them the south could not trade with europe and they would not receive the precious weapons and materials they could not produce themselves. Danvers 1844 1933 writing at the end of the american civil war, verne weaves this story of a scottish merchant who, in desperation at the. A complete civil war reenacting supplies and uniforms, shoes, leather goods, weapons, etc. Bermuda blockade runners 150th anniversary confederate bombardment federal armys fort sumter charleston south carolina american civil war bermuda 1861 1965. The blockade runners of the american civil war were seagoing steam ships that were used to make their way through the union blockade that extended some 3,500 miles along the atlantic and gulf of mexico coastlines and the lower mississippi river. But as the war progressed the blockade became more effective, and by 1865 one of every two blockade runners was being taken. He attended public schools, including new hanover high school, class of 1971, where he was the first soccerstyle placekicker in north carolina football history. Sep 26, 20 mcpherson, james, war on the waters, chapter 2.
Blockade running in the civil war encyclopedia of alabama. Confederate blockade runner 186165 osprey publishing. England even went as far as to secretly build blockaderunners for the south, threatening war with the union in doing so. The blockade runners of the american civil war by eric j. Within four weeks of the fall of fort sumter, president abraham lincoln had declared a blockade of over four thousand miles of confederate coastline, from cape henry in virginia to the mexican border. The blockade runners by jules verne full audiobook. Brownings 2005 introduction to hamilton cochrans 1958 blockade runners of the confederacy. The confederacy in britain tests the blockade 11 2. Blockade runners of the american civil war project. They were adapted for the highspeed dashes through the union blockade which closed off all the major southern ports, and for much of the war they brought muchneeded food, clothing and weaponry to the confederacy.
The union blockade in the american civil war was a naval tactic by the northern government to prevent the confederacy from trading. The lifeblood of the confederacy, the blockade runners of the civil war usually began life as regular fast steampowered merchant ships. Buy confederate blockade runner 186165 new vanguard by angus konstam, tony bryan isbn. Blockade runners of the confederacy alabama fire ant and over one million other books are available for amazon kindle. Blockade runners of the confederacy book depository.
The blockade runners of the american civil war were seagoing steam ships that were used to get through the union blockade that extended some 3,500 miles 5,600 km along the atlantic and gulf of mexico coastlines and the lower mississippi river. From the profusion of books about confederate blockade running, this one will stand out for a long time as the most complete and exhaustively researched. This book traces their operational history, including the development of purposebuilt blockade running ships, and examines their engines, crews and tactics. Although blockaderunners primarily brought in commercial or luxury items, the confederacy would have been without much needed arms, bullets, and ammunition without the blockaderunners. The history of the exploits of the vessels which engaged in the hazardous business of running the blockade is replete with glamour, adventure, cupidity, maritime skill, huge profits, and international litigation. The main objective of the blockade was not only to prevent muchneeded supplies from entering the southern states, but also to prevent the major southern. At least 400,000 rifles over 6% of their modern arms, 3,000,000 pounds of lead, and twothirds. Blockade running during the civil war studies in maritime history wise, stephen r. Blockade running, and the use of small swift ships known as blockade runners, was the confederacy s response to the union blockade ordered by president abraham lincoln on april 19, 1861, one week after confederate forces fired on fort sumter. Sep 14, 2018 jules verne 1828 1905, translated by n. Confederate blockade runner adventures evading lincolns strangle hold on the southern states during the american civil wart the union blockade operated to ensure that few trade goods or war materials entered the confederacy by way of its atlantic or gulf coast ports. Confederate blockade runners, however, managed to slip through the blockade and kept trade going. Blockade runners of the confederacy ebook by hamilton cochran. Bermuda and the bahamas were good trading posts for blockade runners, because of their location and because the residents mostly supported the confederacy.