Joseph H. Gilmore (1834–1918) was an American Baptist minister, professor, and author. In 1862, during the darkest days of the American Civil War, Gilmore was leading a mid-week prayer meeting in Philadelphia. He spoke on the comforting words of Psalm 23, focusing on how God leads His people even through the shadow of death. After the service, while sitting in his friends' parlor, the inspiration remained so strong that he grabbed a pencil and scribbled the words of 'He Leadeth Me' on a scrap of paper. Without his knowledge, his wife sent the poem to a Christian publication, where it was set to music and became a worldwide anthem of comfort.