Editing CSS Fredericksburg (section)

===Trent's Reach===
{{main|Battle of Trent's Reach}}
[[File:The photographic history of the Civil War - thousands of scenes photographed 1861-65, with text by many special authorities (1911) (14760492744).jpg|thumb|left|alt=Black-and-white photo of a cannon overlooking a river curve|A wartime view from Battery Dantzler]]
On October 24, ''Fredericksburg'' was sent upriver to the Rocketts area, where she was given a replacement cannon for the gun that had burst and had the roof of her casemate protected with iron bars.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=172}}  ''Fredericksburg'', ''Virginia II'', and ''Richmond'' went down to Fort Brady on December 7 and exchanged fire with the Union position.<ref name="DANFS" /> Rootes did not command ''Fredericksburg'' due to illness from December 1864 until February 1865.  [[Lieutenant]] Francis E. Shepperd commanded her for a time during December 1864, and from January 14 through 25, 1865.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=252}}  By the beginning of 1865, the situation was becoming bleaker for the Confederates due to several military defeats, and it was decided to risk an attack against the Union fleet on the James in hopes of breaking the [[Union blockade|blockade]] on the river and destroying the depot at City Point.<ref name="DANFS" />  The Union obstructions at Trent's Reach had been damaged by high water, and part of the Union fleet had been transferred to [[North Carolina]] for operations against [[Fort Fisher]].{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=195{{en dash}}196}}  On the night of January 23/24, the Confederate fleet, composed of ''Fredericksburg'', ''Richmond'', ''Virginia II'', ''Hampton'', ''Drewry'', ''Nansemond'', the gunboats {{ship|CSS|Torpedo}} and {{ship|CSS|Beaufort}}, and the [[torpedo boat]]s {{ship|CSS|Hornet}}, {{ship|CSS|Wasp}}, and {{ship|CSS|Scorpion}} moved downriver towards Trent's Reach.  ''Fredericksburg'' was in the lead as she had the lightest draft.  The ships successfully passed Fort Brady in the darkness, but ''Torpedo'' [[ran aground]] not long after and had to be abandoned.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=198{{en dash}}200}}

''Fredericksburg'' was able to cross the Union obstructions at Trent's Reach at about 01:30 on January 24,{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=200}} but suffered [[hull (watercraft)|hull]] damage during the process.{{sfn|Bisbee|2018|p=161}}  The damage caused the ship to spring a leak.  While ''Hampton'' also passed the obstructions,{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=202}} none of the other Confederate ironclads could.{{sfn|Bisbee|2018|p=161}}  ''Virginia II'' ran aground, and the Confederates decided not to push further that night and recalled ''Fredericksburg'' and ''Hampton'' back across the obstructions.  ''Drewry'' also became grounded and was abandoned; Union fire sank her later in the morning and the resulting explosion pushed ''Scorpion'' towards Union lines, where she was captured.  ''Fredericksburg'' withdrew to Battery Dantzler.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=203{{en dash}}204}}  Union vessels arrived during the morning and reached the obstructions, firing on the now-freed ''Virginia II'', and ''Richmond'' who were still in the process of moving upriver towards the battery.  The two Confederate ironclads were able to reach the safety of Battery Dantzler, which provided fire support, striking the gunboat [[USS Massasoit|USS ''Massasoit'']]. Union forces also brought up a [[Drummond light]] so that the river could be illuminated during nighttime.  While the Confederates considered another attempt through the obstructions that night, it was decided not to risk a movement, and the surviving vessels of Mitchell's squadron withdrew to Chaffin's Bluff.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=204{{en dash}}208}}  In addition to the hull damage from crossing the obstructions, ''Fredericksburg'' also lost an anchor during the affair.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=211}}

Shortly after the battle at Trent's Reach, Mitchell was replaced as commander of the James River Squadron by [[Admiral]] [[Raphael Semmes]].<ref name="DANFS" />  Lieutenant Alphonse Barbot took command of ''Fredericksburg'' in February.{{sfn|Coski|2005|p=252}} ''Fredericksburg'' was repaired, but did not see further action.{{sfn|Bisbee|2018|p=161}}  On April 3, Semmes was informed that the Confederates were abandoning Richmond.<ref name="DANFS" />  The vessels of the James River Squadron were taken upriver from Chaffin's Bluff to the obstructions at Drewry's Bluff, and the ships, including the ironclads, were burned early that morning.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=218{{en dash}}220}} The men of the James River Squadron served on land, moving with the Confederate government to [[Danville, Virginia]], before eventually surrendering in North Carolina.<ref name="DANFS" />  The wreck of ''Fredericksburg'' survived later [[dredging]] operations,{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=238{{en dash}}239}} despite being incompletely removed in 1871 and 1872,{{sfn|Gaines|2008|p=180}} and the site was rediscovered in the 1980s.{{sfn|Coski|2005|pp=238{{en dash}}239}}  ''Fredericksburg'' lies parallel to the river, buried under {{convert|6|ft|m}} to {{convert|15|ft|m}} of [[sediment]].<ref name="DANFS" />  Bisbee reports that the site has been heavily disturbed.{{sfn|Bisbee|2018|p=162}}