Where Is It?

[Rick Smith]

Have been wondering why John Maxwell addressed his report:

"CAPTAIN: I have the honor to report that in obedience to your order, and with the means and equipment furnished me by you . . . . ."

He was working directly under orders from Captain Zedekiah "Zere" McDaniel, an explosives expert and operator for the Torpedo Bureau.

McDaniel set the torpedo / explosives which sunk the USS Cairo on 12 December, 1862. His device was an ingenious arrangement known as a demijohn torpedo, developed by General Rains, but altered for special use by McDaniel to sink the Cairo. General Rains designed the demijohn torpedo to be movement sensitive, whereas McDaniels' altered the torpedo he used to be friction primed.