Blackall served as a doc­tor in the Amer­i­can ci­vil war, and, from 1867, as sec­re­ta­ry for the Amer­i­can Bap­tist Pub­li­ca­tion So­ci­e­ty for the North-West for over eight years. He was al­so chair­man of the Aux­il­i­a­ry Board at Har­per’s Week­ly. He wrote more than 100 Sun­day School songs. His works inc­lude:

• Gems for the Lit­tle Ones (Phil­a­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: B. Grif­fith, 1879)

• Brown, p. 450
• Kristen Sang og Musikk

1. By and By
2. Church Bell, The
3. Doing His Will
4. Labor On