The blockade runners were small ships that could get around the blockade to trade goods. They could hardly move anything however, they did provide additional supplies. When captured they were treated as prizes of war. What are your guys opinions on them?
I think the blockade runners were necessary to the Confederate war effort. Of course, the best thing of all for the South would have been to break the blockade entirely. But since that was not feasible, the only thing they could really do was try to evade it.
I wouldn't say that the Confederacy breaking the blockade was unfeasible as much as it was unlikely. That was one of the reasons that they were reaching out for help from Britain, who (aside from the Monitor, Virginia/Merrimack, and HL Hunley) still had the most advanced navy in the world at that time.
