Virginia History with Rick Britton: Civil War Blockade Runners

Virginia History with Rick Britton

Airing on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, CPN’s Dan Gould talks with local award-winning historian and cartographer, Rick Britton about a wide range of subjects from Virginia’s colorful 18th and 19th centuries.

In this episode, Dan talks to Rick about the Federal naval blockades in the American Civil War and how the South found ways to run them. Blockade running was so profitable that a Southern captain could afford to loose his ship after only two runs. Learn why blockade runners never fired on Federal ships. In answer to Dan’s question, 16 knots is approximately 18 miles per hour.

Click here to listen to all the episodes in this series.