Editing CSS Beaufort (section)

===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}}