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| Joined: | Mon Oct 30th, 2006 |
| Location: | Florida USA |
| Posts: | 1019 |
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) by James Lee Burke, "Into the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead." In it, Dave Robicheaux, a dectective based in New Iberia, LA west of New Orleans, tracks a serial killer. The plot is complex, but what particularly distinquishes it from other of Burke's Dave Robicheaux detective adventures is that in this one, he and another character have mysterious encounters with...you guessed it...Confederate dead including General John Bell Hood!Therein lies the rub. I'm wondering about the accuracy of some of the visions. Well, of course, fictional visions don't need to be historically accurate. But I do have to wonder about some facts. I'm hoping you experts here can help me out.
1. John Bell Hood died of yellow fever in New Orleans after the war. But did he actually FIGHT in Lousiana during the war, specifically near New Iberia?
2. Was there a battle between Hood's army and General Banks in or near New Iberia?
3. The Confederates had some balloons made of silk, but did they ever fly these observation balloons in Lousiana?
4. Did John Bell Hood himself ever go up in said balloon to do observations of enemy troop movements? If so, did he do it near New Iberia, LA?
I appreciate your answers.
In all respect to James Lee Burke, whose books I do especially enjoy and highly recommend his most recent "Tin Roof Blowdown" to all lovers of detective novels, I'm not criticizing him for the John Bell Hood references. Maybe they are all accurate. I just can't find any information confirming them.