Just a thought--your ancestor could have been wounded in the war, or sick and hospitalized somewhere in Lafayette when he died, which could explain why he died far from home. Depending upon when in 1866 he died, it still would have to have been a rather long illness, however, at least 8-9 months or more. Maybe someone in Lafayette can tell you if there was a sanatarium or hospitals in the area that could have provided long-term care. Harriet