Editing CSS Beaufort (section)

==Confederate service==
===North Carolina===
[[File:Map of Battle of Roanoke Island.jpg|thumb|right|1862 map of the positions of the Union and Confederacy at the [[Battle of Roanoke Island]]]]
''Beaufort'' took part in the first ship-versus-ship action of the American Civil War on July 20,{{sfn|Trotter|1989|p=20}} when it fought [[USS Albatross (1858)|USS ''Albatross'']] near [[Oregon Inlet]].<ref name="danfs" /> ''Albatross'' was a much larger vessel than ''Beaufort'', but both ships spent the 45-minute battle firing from behind the cover of either side of a [[barrier island]].{{sfn|Trotter|1989|p=20}} At this time, ''Beaufort'' was still under the command of Duvall.{{sfn|Official Records|1897|pp=21{{endash}}23}}  Later that month, ''Beaufort'' and the other ships of the North Carolina Navy were transferred into the [[Confederate States Navy]] from the North Carolina state forces. Along with fellow Mosquito fleet vessels [[CSS Winslow|CSS ''Winslow'']] and [[CSS Raleigh (1861)|CSS ''Raleigh'']], ''Beaufort'' engaged in raiding [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] merchant shipping along the North Carolina coast, although ''Winslow'' had the most success.{{Sfn|Trotter|1989|p=22}} Confederate Lieutenant [[William Harwar Parker]] took command of ''Beaufort'' on September 9.<ref name="danfs" />

By the time of [[Burnside's North Carolina Expedition]] in February 1862, ''Beaufort'' was part of the Confederate fleet near [[Roanoke Island]] commanded by [[Commodore (rank)|Commodore]] [[William F. Lynch]].{{sfn|Barrett|1963|p=75}} Confederate land forces had built three forts on the island, and Lynch's Mosquito Fleet was present as well, positioned behind a group of [[blockship]]s sunk between the island and the North Carolina mainland.{{sfn|Trotter|1989|pp=75{{endash}}77}} The Union had an infantry force prepared to land, as well a naval force. Both outnumbered their Confederate counterparts. On February 7, the [[Battle of Roanoke Island]] began, with the Union ships firing on the Mosquito Fleet and on the Confederate land defenses. Only one of the forts was in a position where it could return fire. The Mosquito Fleet tried to lure the Union vessels further north into the range of the other two forts, but this was not successful.{{sfn|Barrett|1963|pp=74{{endash}}77}} The Union was able to land infantry on Roanoke Island and overran the island's defenders the next day.{{sfn|Trotter|1989|pp=81{{endash}}86}} After the fight at Roanoke Island, Lynch withdrew his ships to [[Elizabeth City, North Carolina]].  Parker and most of ''Beaufort''{{'}}s crew were sent ashore to man a fortification on February 10, the same day that Union ships attacked and brought on the [[Battle of Elizabeth City]]. Most of the Mosquito Fleet was destroyed in the fighting, but ''Beaufort'' was able to escape up the Dismal Swamp Canal to Norfolk.{{sfn|Trotter|1989|pp=88{{endash}}89}}

===Hampton Roads and inactivity===
At Norfolk, ''Beaufort'' was part of the [[James River Squadron]].{{sfn|Luraghi|1996|p=137}} Led by the [[ironclad]] [[CSS Virginia|CSS ''Virginia'']], the squadron sallied forth against the vessels of the [[Union blockade]] stationed in [[Hampton Roads]] on March 8.{{Sfn|Coski|2005|p=27}} ''Beaufort'' and ''Raleigh'' served as escort vessels for the ironclad.{{sfn|Calore|2002|p=119}} At the mouth of the [[Elizabeth River (Virginia)|Elizabeth River]] on the way to Hampton Roads, ''Beaufort'' had to user a [[hawser]] to assist ''Virginia'' in turning in shallow water.{{sfn|Luraghi|1996|p=140}} ''Virginia'' attacked the blockaders in the [[Battle of Hampton Roads]] and after sinking one Union vessel, badly damaged [[USS Congress (1841)|USS ''Congress'']]. ''Beaufort'' and ''Raleigh'' moved towards ''Congress'' to negotiate surrender of the damaged vessel but came under fire from the shore. After an officer from ''Virginia'' was wounded during another attempt to negotiate the surrender of ''Congress'', ''Virginia'' sank the blockader.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=27}} ''Beaufort'' also served as a [[ship's tender]] for ''Virginia'' during the battle and fired on other Union ships.{{sfn|Browning|1993|p=43}} The crew of ''Beaufort'' received the [[Thanks of Congress]] from the [[Confederate States Congress]] for her role in the battle.<ref name="danfs" />

On April 18, ''Beaufort'' joined ''Raleigh'' and the gunboats [[CSS Teaser|CSS ''Teaser'']], [[CSS Jamestown|CSS ''Jamestown'']], and [[CSS Patrick Henry|CSS ''Patrick Henry'']] in supporting the Confederate land forces defending [[Yorktown, Virginia]].{{sfn|Luraghi|1996|p=153}} The Confederates retreated from the [[Virginia Peninsula]], and fell back to close to [[Richmond, Virginia]], leading to the abandonment of Norfolk and the [[scuttling]] of ''Virginia''.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=28{{endash}}29}} When Union ships moved up the [[James River]] towards [[Drewry's Bluff]] in May, ''Beaufort'' and several other Confederate vessels were sent to a safe position upriver while their crews fought from land positions in the [[Battle of Drewry's Bluff]] on May 15.{{Sfn|Coski|2005|pp=42{{endash}}44}}

The James River Squadron entered into a long period of routine patrolling of a stretch of {{convert|8|miles|km}} of the James River downriver from Richmond until 1864, when the region was threatened by Union ships again.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=89}} Not long after Hampton Roads, Parker was transferred to [[Charleston, South Carolina]].{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=129}} For a period of time in 1862 and 1863, Lieutenant William H. Murdaugh commanded ''Beaufort''.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=105}} Lieutenant William Sharp took command in October 1863, and was replaced by Lieutenant Edward J. Means the next month. Means remained in command until June 1864.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=252}} A second cannon had been added to ''Beaufort''{{'}}s armament by November 30, 1863.{{sfn|Official Records|1921|p=246}} ''Beaufort'' remained inactive during the time Means was in command. Union vessels had moved upriver towards the Confederate positions in mid-May, and the James River Squadron's new commander, [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] [[John Kirkwood Mitchell]], requested a more experienced officer be assigned to command ''Beaufort'' in anticipation of action.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=154{{endash}}158}} Lieutenant J. M. Gardner then took command in June.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=252}}

===End of war===

On September 29, Union infantry won the [[Battle of Chaffin's Farm|Battle of Fort Harrison]], and captured [[Fort Harrison|Fort Harrison itself]], a Confederate defensive position. In response, ''Beaufort'', along with several other Confederate vessels, bombarded Union troops in the area of the fort from September 29 through October 1. The Confederate fire was effective, and Union return fire did little damage.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=167{{endash}}168}} A number of men from ''Beaufort'' were also transferred to man land fortifications.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=169{{endash}}170}} Other members of the ship's crew had been transferred to North Carolina in July, and as a result ''Beaufort'' could only provide minimal service due to a shortage of crew members. Some Confederate sailors were released in prisoner exchanges in October, which allowed the vessel to regain some crew strength.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=171{{endash}}172}} November saw ''Beaufort''{{'}}s armament reduced to a single 32-pounder cannon.{{sfn|Official Records|1921|p=246}} Lieutenant [[William Pinckney Mason]] took command of ''Beaufort'' in October, and Lieutenant Joseph W. Alexander took over on December 19.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=252}} In January 1865, Mitchell decided to sally forth and attack the Union ships in the James River, as many Union ships had been transferred to North Carolina for the operations against Confederate-held [[Fort Fisher]].{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=196{{endash}}197}}

On the evening of January 23, the Confederate ships began their movements downriver, starting the [[Battle of Trent's Reach]]. As the navigable channel of the river was narrow, the wooden Confederate ships were either lashed to one of the three ironclads in the James River Squadron, or were towed behind another ship. ''Beaufort'' and the tender [[CSS Drewry|CSS ''Drewry'']] were lashed to the ironclad [[CSS Richmond|CSS ''Richmond'']], with ''Drewry'' towing the [[torpedo boat]] [[CSS Wasp|CSS ''Wasp'']].{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=198}}  When the ironclad [[CSS Virginia II|CSS ''Virginia II'']] ran aground, ''Drewry'' and ''Beaufort'' were released to go to her aid. When efforts to free ''Virginia II'' failed. ''Drewry'' later moved downstream, but ''Beaufort'' and the gunboat [[CSS Nansemond|CSS ''Nansemond'']] spent three hours trying to free the ironclad. Before dawn, the Confederate vessels who had not run aground withdrew upriver, but ''Drewry'', ''Richmond'', ''Virginia II'', and the torpedo boat [[CSS Scorpion|CSS ''Scorpion'']] had all grounded within range of Union guns. While the two ironclads were eventually able to get free and escape, ''Drewry'' blew up after being struck by Union fire, and the explosion forced ''Scorpion'' downriver, where she was captured.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=202{{endash}}206}}

Command of ''Beaufort'' passed to George Henry Arledge on February 12.{{Sfn|Coski|2005|p=252}} Mitchell was relieved of command on February 18 and replaced by [[Rear Admiral]] [[Raphael Semmes]]. Mitchell left Semmes a description of the condition of the James River Squadron vessels, which noted that ''Beaufort'' was "not servicable, except in emergencies" and that she had problems were her propeller and rudder.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=212{{endash}}213}} The Confederates abandoned Richmond on April 2, and the James River Squadron was scuttled. The ironclads were destroyed at Drewry's Bluff, while the wooden ships went upriver to Richmond to be burned on the night of April 2/3.  The fire set on ''Beaufort'' did not sink her, and the ship was captured by Union troops.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=219{{endash}}220}} She was operated by the Union until September 15, when she was sold.<ref name="danfs" /> ''Beaufort'' was then used as a civilian merchant vessel,{{sfn|Silverstone|1989|p=243}} and was renamed ''Roanoke'' in October. In 1878 she was converted into a [[barge]].{{sfn|Lytle|1952|p=25}}