The Last Man’s Club of Company B with Mike Frain

Charles Lockwood

A bittersweet tradition that stemmed from the Civil War was an organization called The Last Man’s Club. Civil War reenactor and longtime WCHS volunteer Mike Frain will present on this club that began as a group of friends and became legendary.

The men of Company B of the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment were 101 strong when they left for battle, and sadly only 34 of them survived. After the 34 men gathered together Stillwater in 1885, they decided to make the reunion an annual thing. 

The group called themselves The Last Man’s Club, and agreed to meet each year on July 21 — the anniversary of the Battle of Bull Run — until only one of them was left. The last remaining man would drink a toast to his departed comrades from an expensive bottle of Burgundy wine that was to remain unopened until that day.

The last remaining man was Charles Lockwood, who raised his glass in 1930 to his fellow comrades. Lockwood stood alone at the end of a long table at the Lowell Inn, where each of the chairs – except Lockwood’s – were draped with black. 

“When we formed the club, we thought the agreement rather funny,” Lockwood told the St. Paul Dispatch at the time. “After our experiences in the war we had no fear of death. But now that I am last I see no humor in it.”

Attend in-person at the Washington County Heritage Center or virtually on YouTube. No registration required.

In-person attendees:

1862 Greeley Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082

Virtual attendees:

Link to WCHS YouTube page