Detectives from the Richmond Military District apprehend smugglers trying to get some tobacco North.
From the Richmond Daily Dispatch November 11, 1862:
Tobacco captured.
–On Sunday the detectives of Major Griswold’s office captured 26 boxes of tobacco, while en route, as it is supposed, for the enemy. The tobacco was marked “Superior pound lumps, Danville, Va., P. R., 103.” The seizure was made a few miles beyond the Old Church, in Hanover county, Va. The tobacco was contained in two four-horse wagons, driven by a white man named Patrick Reardon, and a negro. The negro and teams were left at the Government yards, (Bacon’s Quarter Branch,) and Reardon was lodged in Castle Thunder. In the wagons, beside the tobacco, was a large bag of cotton and a boat sail. The tobacco, by the bill of lading, appeared to be consigned to Wm. R. Polk of Westmoreland county. It is supposed that the sail was intended to be used on the boat engaged to put the tobacco across the Potomac. After the above seizure, (which was made on information received from Danville,) the detective police took in possession another lot of 26 boxes of tobacco found in Richmond, and also owned by Polk. It was carried to Major Griswold’s office.
You can read about tobacco and the Civil War at Civil War Home. The North could get tobacco from the Border States. Southern governments tried to discourage farmers from growing the stuff so that food could be planted instead, but that was largely ignored. Danville actually produced more:
The tobacco town of Danville, Virginia, however, took advantage of the vicissitudes of war. In the late 1850s its tobacco industry was in decline, and the community was reluctant to answer the call to arms in 1861. Nevertheless, Danville prospered during the war. Located safely behind enemy lines along a major railroad to Richmond, Danville became a lucrative place for the activities of merchants and manufacturers. Through their investments, the town and the surrounding county saw a revival in the tobacco industry. As a result of its returning prosperity, Danville citizens opposed attempts by Confederate soldiers to destroy the rail connection with Richmond in order to stop the Union advance.
Nevertheless, it is said that six tobacco warehouses were converted to prisons for captured Union soldiers.
