Jules Verne short novel "The Blockade Runners" was published in 1865. It tells the story of a British blockade runner during the end of the American Civil War. A ship the Dolphin was being constructed by Mssrs. Tod & MacGregor at the Kelvin dock. This ship was to be a large ship, about 1,500 tons was to have very powerful engines. The Dolphin was to be one of the fastest ships afloat. Although the ship was to be unarmed, it was built to traverse the dangerous waters off the coast of the Confederacy. The Confederacy was, at the time, under blockade by the powerful Federal fleet.
Because of the Civil War, the main product of the Southern States, namely cotton, was not being exported to Europe. The price of cotton, consequently, was very high. At the same time, cotton was sitting idly in Confederate warehouses, rotting. Vincent Playfair would commission a ship to run the Federal blockade and trade for cotton at a great profit. Vincent Playfair's nephew, James was to be the ship's captain and he would obtain the best crew possible. Playfair would trade ammunition, provisions and clothing for the valuable cotton.
After 5 months of construction, the ship set sail for Charleston in the South. The Dolphin was staffed not with fighting men, but rather with the best sailors and working men that could be found. What was not known was that a stowaway was on board. Jenny Halliburtt was hidden on the vessel. Her father was a Northerner and was held in a prison camp by the South. It was Jenny's objective to take this opportunity to free her father from the camp.
During the voyage across the Atlantic, the Dolphin did not encounter any Federal ships. However, once the ship entered American waters, the Dolphin encountered the Northern war ship "the Iroquois". The war ship promptly fired at the blockade runner, but the superior speed of the vessel allowed it to make it to Charleston without damage.
At Charleston, captain James Playfair, met with General Beauregard to arrange for the trading of material for cotton. A plan was also created to free the captive Halliburtt.
After filling the ship with cotton and arranging the escape of Halliburtt, the Dolphin left Charleston port under the cover of darkness. Under fire from the Federal ships and the shore batteries, the blockade runner managed to escape the trap and set sail back to England. Upon return to home, the cotton is sold for a large profit and young James Playfair marries Jenny Halliburtt.
This book is one of Verne's early writings and is a quick read. It is also a very short work. Verne takes an interest in the American Civil war and is one of several works that appears to take sides in the conflict. Verne's disagreement with slavery is apparent throughout this story. Fans of Jules Verne will enjoy this work.