`At the beginning of the CIVIL WAR, the blockade was carried out from the south, in the Chesapeake Capes to the mouth of the Rio Grande River. The purpose of the blockade was to supply the southern troops, who were hungry and short of ammunition. The only problem was that the North would block rivers, streams, and waterways to prevent the South from advancing further. The North would also blockade ports to prevent the South from unloading goods. A blockade runner was a small, fast, steam-powered ship that ran ahead of most ships. They were mostly made and operated by the British to aid the Confederacy. They were also mainly made by the British. England went so far as to build them in secret and threaten the union with war. The Union ordered 500 ships to capture or destroy the blockade runners. Around 1,500 blockade runners were destroyed or captured during the war. Blockade runners usually traveled at night. The goods they carried were cotton, guns, ammunition, food, etc. On these boats they used Enfield rifles if they came into conflict....