On 7 November 1861 this ship, "Sampson", Lt. J. S. Kenard, CSN, stood out with other gunboats of Commodore Josiah Tattnall III's squadron to engage the heavy ships of Rear Admiral DuPont at the battle of Port Royal, South Carolina. The Confederates finally were forced to withdraw to Skull Creek. After the naval bombardment and evacuation of Port Royal's defensive works, "Sampson" helped transport a number of the retreating garrison to Savannah. Later in the month she exchanged shots with Federal forces off Fort Pulaski, Ga., and in January 1862, with two others of Tattnall's squadron, ran past the Federal ships in the Savannah River to provision Fort Pulaski. "Sampson" received considerable damage in this encounter.