The main purpose of blockade runners during the Civil War was to bring needed supplies to the Confederacy. As the Union had established an effective naval blockade of Confederate ports, it became difficult for the Confederacy to obtain vital goods, such as weapons, ammunition, and food, from foreign countries. Blockade runners were small, fast ships that were able to navigate through the blockade and bring these supplies to Confederate ports, thereby helping to sustain the Confederate war effort. They often relied on speed, stealth, and evasive tactics to avoid detection by the Union navy. While they did indirectly assist in protecting ports like Savannah, their primary purpose was to get supplies to the Confederacy.
