Editing CSS Beaufort (section)

===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}}