CIVIL WAR: The Navy in the Civil War - The Blockade and the Cruisersby James Russell Soley. 1903. 257p During the Civil War, the blockade efforts by the Confederates aimed to challenge the effectiveness of the Union blockade. Foreign governments, particularly Great Britain, closely monitored the blockade's impact and efficiency. The Confederates tried to exploit any weaknesses in the blockade to maintain their trade and supply lines, leading to investigations by foreign powers to assess the blockade's effectiveness.