John Wilkinson’s The Narrative of a Blockade-Runner is a gripping memoir of the Confederate effort to slip cargoes past the Union naval blockade during the American Civil War. A former United States naval officer who joined the Confederacy, Wilkinson commanded fast steamers that ran guns, supplies, and luxuries between Southern ports and the Caribbean.
His account details the seamanship, daring, and nerve required to outrun the blockading squadrons, along with vivid descriptions of Nassau, Bermuda, and the dangerous approaches to Wilmington. Beyond the chases at sea, Wilkinson reflects on the wider naval war and a secret mission to Northern waters. The book offers a rare maritime perspective on the conflict and remains a lively classic of Civil War literature at sea.