Author: James Sloan Gibbons

A Hicksite Quaker and resident of New York, James Sloan Gibbons (1810?–92) was best known for his writings on financial topics, having published two books on banking and holding the position of financial editor for the New York Evening Post. At age 20, he joined the abolitionist movement and later served briefly as an editor of the Anti-Slavery Standard. In 1862, when Abraham Lincoln issued a call for 300,000 additional volunteers to fill the ranks of the Union Army, Gibbons responded by writing a song to rally the troops. His “We Are Coming, Father Abraham” was published in the New York Evening Post two weeks after Lincoln’s proclamation. The song became widely popular, aiding in the recruitment of soldiers to the Union cause. 

We Are Coming, Father Abraham

James Sloan Gibbons
In July, President Lincoln issued a call for 300,000 more Union troops. His call was greatly aided with this song, written by James Sloan Gibbons (1810–92) and published on July 16, 1862.