Hello Al,

Here is what I have found, based on the evidence I could gather.

1. According to the Virginia Regimental Histories Series volume "56th Virginia Infantry" by Young and Young, Samuel C. Newcomb appears on a "post war list" of men who served in the 56th Virginia. He is not in the compiled service records of that unit.

2. According to Prisoner of War records--a primary source viewed at ancestry.com, Samuel C. Newcomb of Company E, 22nd Battalion Virginia Infantry [a completely different unit than the 22nd Virginia Infantry]was captured at Farmville, Virginia on April 6, 1865 and was imprisoned at Point Lookout. He was released on June 15, 1865. Note: Several of the records, list his unit as "22 Va." The 22nd Va, raised in present day West Virginia was not present on Lee's retreat toward Appomattox. However, the 22nd Battalion Virginia Infantry was disbanded on December 22, 1864 and the men were "distributed among depleted Virginia organizations...which may explain #3.

3. According to a pension application filed at the Virginia State library, Newcomb served in the 44th Virginia Infantry. See: http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwehave/

4. Census records indicate that only 1 Virginian named Samuel Newcomb could have served during the Civil War.