John J. Upham fought in the Civil War and Indian Wars. He and his bride built a charming St. Augustine cottage that is now for sale

(Evan Ulsh photo, courtesy of ONE Sotheby's International Realty)

After 30 years of military service, including fighting in the Civil War and the Indian Wars, Lt. Col. John Jaques Upham was ready for a new adventure -- and a warmer place to spend his winters.

So the bachelor, 54, married Caroline Hoppin Williams – 10 years his junior -- in Milwaukee on Sept. 23, 1891. Having soldiered through bouts of poor health over the years, the U.S. 8^th Cavalry officer retired just four months later.

Besides seeking marital bliss, Upham (right) must have wanted escape from the current cold Wisconsin winter and memories of bone-chilling blizzards on the Great Plains while he rode horses or shivered in a fort.

He and Mrs. Upham decided to build a winter retreat on St. George Street in St. Augustine, Fla. The striking cottage went up over the winter of 1892-1893 and the couple happily wintered there and summered in Wisconsin until 1898, when Upham died of kidney disease at a Milwaukee hotel where they were staying before their return south. He was 61.

Today, the house, which has had numerous additions and owners over the years, is for sale, currently at $1.3 million. Upham Cottage, with eight bedrooms and 5,800 square feet, is part of the St. Augustine historic district, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; the National Park Service says the three-story cottage is one of a few remaining of that style in the city.

“This remarkable home showcases the graceful blend of Queen Anne Victorian architecture with extraordinary examples of Moorish Revival in the courtyard arches,” says the listing by Kate Mitchell and Elizabeth Jennings of ONE Sotheby’s International Realty, St. Augustine.

(Evan Ulsh photos for ONE Sotheby's International Realty)

“From its stunning original millwork and wood floors to its unique octagonal shape, this home will take you back to the splendor of the Gilded Age.” Photos of the property, which is just blocks from the water, show a welcoming home still steeped in the Victorian era.

The likes of novelist Henry James and painter Martin Johnson Heade paid visits more than a century ago. “Over time, the cottage evolved along with the ever-changing tides of history. The original owners continuously added onto the property, building a ballroom, rooftop garden and atrium,” the listing states.

The Upham Cottage later became a multi-family property until it was converted back to a single-family dwelling in the late 1980s, and it is a different cat than its neighbors. Its sales price has varied widely in the past 15 or so years, according to Zillow. Like other houses of that age with such features, upkeep is paramount.

(Evan Ulsh photo, courtesy of ONE Sotheby's International Realty)

“Today, as you step foot within these storied walls, you become an integral part of the Upham Winter Cottage's narrative. Embrace the opportunity to restore its grandeur and assume the role of its guardian, preserving the heritage of the past while crafting a new chapter in its history,” says the listing.

Upham battled health issues along with the enemy

John J. Upham was born in Wilmington, Del., in 1837. His family moved to Milwaukee, where his father, Don A.J. Upham, served as mayor in 1849 and 1850. The younger Upham attended West Point, graduated in 1859 and joined the regular army.

First in the infantry, the officer was stationed at Governor’s Island, N.Y., and California before the Civil War broke out.

Arched entrance at the cottage in St. Augustine (Evan Ulsh photo)

He was engaged in the defense of Washington, D.C., the 1862 Peninsula Campaign in Virginia and the Battle of Gettysburg, where he was promoted to brevet major for “gallant and meritorious service,” according to his The Milwaukee Sentinel obituary (provided to the Picket by the Wisconsin Historical Society). He later became a disbursing officer in the North and occupied South.

Cullum’s Register, an index of graduates of the U.S. Military Academy, had a biography of Upham, listing numerous stations in the West during the Indian Wars, after he had switched to the cavalry. The officer took several leaves of absence, at least some for health reasons. The register said he served “despite constant poor health.” (At left, photo of Upham while cadet, courtesy of U.S. Military Academy Library)

Upham was in a few regiments in his time in Texas, Kansas and Indian Territory. He took command of Oklahoma’s Fort Gibson in 1875 and was in the field in the summer of 1876 as part of the Yellowstone and Big Horn expeditions (George A. Armstrong and much of his command were killed at Little Big Horn in June 1876).

Upham fought at War Bonnet Creek and Slim Buttes and later was stationed at Fort D.A. Russell, Fort Wahaskie and Fort Niobrara, according to his obituary.

Man holds rifle as two others ride off (Courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society)

The Wisconsin Historical Society has 12 drawings made by a Native American on blank pages of discarded ledger books that once belonged to an Indian agent. Upham acquired the sketches done in pencil, wax, crayon and earth colors by a Plains Indian, about 1880-1890.

'Distinguished son of a distinguished sire'

Upham’s later service included time at Fort Leavenworth and brief deployments to Turkey and France as a military observer. “He was at that time decorated with the cross of the Legion of Honor, a distinction enjoyed by few Americans,” according to his obituary.

Upham was promoted to colonel on Jan. 14, 1892, and put on the retired list on Jan. 30, 1892.

The retired officer was a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, a Civil War officers group. He was invited to the May 30, 1897, unveiling of the Battle Monument of the regular army at West Point (Wikipedia photo, at left).

The Uphams shared seven years together and they returned to Milwaukee in spring 1898. But John never saw Florida again. He died on Oct. 21 and was buried at Forest Home Cemetery. Caroline died in 1934. They had no children.

Upham’s lengthy obituary, which called him one of Wisconsin’s best-known military men, included these remarks made by a friend:

“Milwaukee has lost the distinguished son of a distinguished sire. Large of frame and equally large of heart; generous; genial; unassuming; unselfish; this endeared him to all who had the privilege of his close friendship. On the pages of our country’s military history one may read the record of the deeds that won for him promotion and popularity, but from his own modest lips one never heard mention of his gallant and meritorious conduct.”