In his notes to the Columbia/Legacy set of Mahalia Jackson (C2K 47083), Dr H.C. Boyer claims that this was the second spiritual ever to be published. It appeared in the November 1862 issue of 'Dwight's Journal of Music', transcribed by a 19-year-old professional musician, Lucy McKim. Evidently, the first published report of a spiritual with text appeared in the 'National Anti-Slavery Standard' on 12 October 1861. It described 'Go Down Moses', and the complete manuscript, listing 20 stanzas, appeared in December of the same year.

Boyer also gives a quotation (unreferenced) that McKim's letter describing the song 'was the first to describe this music in terms of its style and technique, rather than focusing on religious or political aspects of slavery while regarding the music as indescribable'.

--Stewie.