Henry Champion Deming (May 23, 1815 – October 8, 1872) was a politician and writer who served as

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, the mayor

Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since ...

, the acting military mayor of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Connecticut House of Representatives The Connecticut State House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an equal number of districts, with ea ...

, and collector of Internal Revenue

Early life and education

Born May 23, 1815, in

Colchester, Connecticut Colchester is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 15,555 at the 2020 census. In 2010 Colchester became the first town in Connecticut, and the 36th in the country, to be certified with the National Wildlife ...

, the son of Gen. David and Abigail (Champion) Deming. Demings father was a

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

that had served in the

Battle of Bunker Hill The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peripherally involved in ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of ...

. Deming pursued classical studies. He graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1836 where he was an 1836 initiate into the

Skull and Bones Skull and Bones, also known as The Order, Order 322 or The Brotherhood of Death, is an undergraduate senior secret student society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The oldest senior class society at the university, Skull and Bone ...

Society, and from the

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

in 1839. At Yale, he established his reputation for being a talented writer and orator. Demings would, later in life, receive an

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the earl ...

from Trinity College in 1861.

Early career

He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1839 and began practice in New York City but devoted his time chiefly to literary work, which he took a greater interest in. At this time he was engaged with Park Benjamin, Sr. in editing ''The New World'', a literary weekly, and at this time also he published a translation of

Eugène Sue Marie-Joseph "Eugène" Sue (; 26 January 18043 August 1857) was a French novelist. He was one of several authors who popularized the genre of the serial novel in France with his very popular and widely imitated ''The Mysteries of Paris'', whic ...

's ''

The Wandering Jew The Wandering Jew is a mythical immortal man whose legend began to spread in Europe in the 13th century. In the original legend, a Jew who taunted Jesus on the way to the Crucifixion was then cursed to walk the Earth until the Second Coming. Th ...

''. Deming had begun his law career by practicing law in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

, but moved to

in 1847, and would continue to be a resident of Hartford for the remainder of his life. He opened a law office in Connecticut.

Connecticut State Legislature

From 1849 through 1850 and again from 1859 through 1861, Deming served in the

. In 1851, he served in the

Connecticut State Senate The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 99,280 inhabitants. Sena ...

Mayor of Hartford

Deming served as

mayor of Hartford The following table lists the individuals who served as mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, their political party affiliations, and their dates in office, as well as other information.Kevin FloodMayors of Hartford HartfordHistory.net (retrieved April ...

from 1854 through 1858, and again from 1860 until his resignation in 1862, Deming again served as mayor of Hartford.

Civil War military service

In September 1861, he jointed the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

to fight in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

and was appointed colonel of the

12th Connecticut Infantry Regiment The 12th Connecticut Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 12th Connecticut Infantry Regiment was organized at Hartford, Connecticut, beginning November 19, 1861, and m ...

. He accompanied General

Benjamin Butler Benjamin Franklin Butler (November 5, 1818 – January 11, 1893) was an American major general of the Union Army, politician, lawyer, and businessman from Massachusetts. Born in New Hampshire and raised in Lowell, Massachusetts, Butler is best ...

capture of New Orleans The capture of New Orleans (April 25 – May 1, 1862) during the American Civil War was a turning point in the war, which precipitated the capture of the Mississippi River. Having fought past Forts Jackson and St. Philip, the Union was ...

Acting military mayor of New Orleans

After the capture of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

mayor of New Orleans The post of Mayor of the City of New Orleans (french: Maire de La Nouvelle-Orléans) has been held by the following individuals since New Orleans came under American administration following the Louisiana Purchase — the acquisition by the U.S. ...

(which was under

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

). Her served from October 1862 until January 1863, when he resigned both military and civil position, on account of his own health and the health of his wife. 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. 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 David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. F ...

when they were walking in full uniform.

United States House of Representatives

After resigning from the army and returning to Hartford, Deming was elected as a Republican to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...

. He served in the Thirty-eighth and Thirty-ninth Congresses (March 4, 1863 – March 4, 1867). He served as chairman of the

House Committee on Expenditures A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air ...

in the Department of War in the Thirty-eighth and Thirty-ninth Congresses. He also served on the

House Committee on War Expenditures A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air ...

. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1866 to the Fortieth Congress.

Collector of Internal Revenue

In 1869, he was appointed by the President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union A ...

to serve as collector of Internal Revenue, and this office he held until his death.

Writings and literature

Demings spent a large amount of time working professionally in literature and journalism. In addition to editing the ''New World'' weekly literary weekly while in New York. He published a number of his speeches, including congressional speeches, a Eulogy of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

that he had delivered before the

General Assembly of Connecticut The Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. ...

in 1865, and an Oration delivered at the completion of the Monument to Gen.

David Wooster David Wooster ( – May 2, 1777) was an American general who served in the French and Indian War and in the American Revolutionary War. He died of wounds sustained during the Battle of Ridgefield, Connecticut. Several cities, schools, and public ...

, at Danbury, Connecticut in 1854. He also had unpublished writings. He also wrote the "Life of U. S. Grant", published in 1868, and written about his good friend Ulysses S. Grant, who he had great admiration for. The work had extensive sale and is considered to have been influential. His Yale obituary wrote that his writings, "abundantly attest his great fertility of intellect; his personal power as an orator was equally remarkable."

Family

In 1850 he married Sarah, daughter of

Laurent Clerc Louis Laurent Marie Clerc (; 26 December 1785 – 18 July 1869) was a French teacher called "The Apostle of the Deaf in America" and was regarded as the most renowned deaf person in American Deaf History. He was taught by Abbé Sicard and dea ...

, the first deaf-mute instructor in the United States. Together they had three sons and a daughter. His wife died in July 1869. In 1871, he married Mrs. Annie Putnam Jillson, a great-granddaughter of General

Israel Putnam Israel Putnam (January 7, 1718 – May 29, 1790), popularly known as "Old Put", was an American military officer and landowner who fought with distinction at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). He als ...

. Jillson survived him when he died.

Children

Children of Deming and his first wife: *

Henry Champion Deming, Jr. Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal ...

(November 25, 1850 – January 19, 1931), president

Mercantile Trust Company Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct exch ...

* Mary Shipman Deming (May 2, 1855 - November 11, 1859) *

Laurent Clerc Deming Laurent may refer to: * Laurent (name), a French masculine given name and a surname ** Saint Laurence (aka: Saint ''Laurent''), the martyr Laurent ** Pierre Alphonse Laurent, mathematician ** Joseph Jean Pierre Laurent, amateur astronomer, discove ...

(November 21, 1860 – October 12, 1945), railroad executivehttp://mssa.library.yale.edu/obituary_record/1925_1952/1945-46.pdf * 3 infants, not named, died in infancy (1854, 1857, 1859)

Death

Demings died in Hartford on October 9, 1872. His death occurred at his residence. He was interred in Spring Grove Cemetery.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Deming, Henry Champion 1815 births 1872 deaths Yale College alumni Harvard Law School alumni Republican Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives Republican Party Connecticut state senators Mayors of Hartford, Connecticut Union Army colonels Mayors of New Orleans Union Army officers Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut 19th-century American politicians