Demings father was a general that had served in the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War.

[6] He was admitted to the bar in 1839 and began practice in New York City but devoted his time chiefly to literary work, which he took a greater interest in.

[5] In September 1861, he jointed the Union Army to fight in the American Civil War and was appointed colonel of the 12th Connecticut Infantry Regiment.

[citation needed] Demings' tenure in New Orleans is best remembered for his connection to General Butler's notorious "Women Order".

The order declared, "hereafter when any female shall, by word, gesture or movement, insult or show contempt for any officer or soldier of the United States, she shall be regarded and held liable to be treated as a woman of the town plying her avocation," effectively giving Union troops the go-ahead to mistreat the city's women.

[7] It had been reported that one of the contributing factors in Butler's decision to issue the order was an instance where an individual (presumably a woman) emptied a can of dirty water on Deming and David Farragut when they were walking in full uniform.

[2] After resigning from the army and returning to Hartford, Deming was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives.

[3] In 1869, he was appointed by the President Ulysses S. Grant to serve as collector of Internal Revenue, and this office he held until his death.

[5] His Yale obituary wrote that his writings, "abundantly attest his great fertility of intellect; his personal power as an orator was equally remarkable.