Hackleman grew up on a farm, but by age 17 was teach­ing sing­ing class­es and lead­ing the sing­ing in meet­ings. Later he taught pub­lic school for four years, and stu­died mu­sic at the To­ron­to, Ca­na­da, Con­serv­a­to­ry of Mu­sic un­der Ital­i­an com­pos­er Fran­ces­co d’Aur­ia, and with pri­vate teach­ers in New York Ci­ty. He went on to com­pose, ed­it song books, and lead the mu­sic at state and na­tion­al con­ven­tions of the Chris­tian Church. He served as pre­si­dent of the Na­tion­al As­so­ci­a­tion of Church Mu­si­cians, for five years as se­cre­ta­ry to the In­di­a­na Miss­ion­ary So­ci­e­ty, and al­so ran the Hackle­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny in In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na. Hack­le­man’s works in­clude:

• The Gos­pel Call: Parts 1 and 2, with J. V. Coombs (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, 1897)
• Silver and Gold No. 1, with J. V. Coombs (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, 1898)
• Praises to the Prince, with Allen Wilson (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, cir­ca 1900)
• Hackleman’s Spe­cial An­thems No. 2 (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, 1901)
• Gloria in Ex­cel­sis Wor­ship Hym­nal (ed­it­or-in-chief) (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, 1905)
• Sing un­to the Lord, with Charles Ga­bri­el (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, 1906)
• Favorite So­los: A Com­pil­a­tion of So­los, Du­ets, Tri­os and Quar­tets (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio: The Stand­ard Pub­lish­ing Com­pa­ny, 1909)
• Brotherhood Hymns (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, 1911)
• Glory Songs, with John Her­bert (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, cir­ca 1911)
• Hymni Ec­cle­siæ, Or, Hymns of the Church, with Ed­win Ex­cell (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, 1911)
• Gospel Bells with Ed­ward Ex­cell (In­di­an­a­po­lis, In­di­a­na: Hack­le­man Mu­sic Com­pa­ny, cir­ca 1914)
• Wonder Hymns of Faith, with Charles Sco­ville & John Stur­gis (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio: The Stand­ard Pub­lish­ing Com­pa­ny, cir­ca 1923)
• The Ex­cell Hym­nal, with Ed­win Ex­cell & Hamp Sew­ell (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: E. O. Ex­cell Com­pa­ny, 1925)
• Hymns of Praise: Num­bers One and Two Com­bined for the Church and Sun­day School, with F. G. Kings­bu­ry (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Hope Pub­lish­ing Com­pa­ny, 1926)
• American Church and Church School Hym­nal, Beth­a­ny Edi­tion, with Ed­win Ex­cell & Wall­ace Tut­tle (St. Lou­is, Mis­sou­ri: Chris­tian Board of Pub­li­ca­tion, 1927)
• Jewels for Jun­iors (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio: The Stand­ard Pub­lish­ing Com­pa­ny, un­dat­ed)

• Hall, pp. 396-98

1. Going to Judg­ment, Not Fit to Live
2. Have You Looked for the Sheep in the De­sert?
3. I Heard a Gen­tle Voice To­day
4. O Chris­tians, Brave­ly Go to Bat­tle
5. Only Six­teen, So the Pa­pers All Say
6. Ready to Fol­low Christ’s Com­mand
7. Saved by Mo­ther’s Pray­er
8. Send the Gos­pel, Tell the Won­drous Sto­ry
9. Speed Away, Speed Away
10. This Way, Pa­pa
11. We Have Heard the Call of Je­sus
12. What Will You Do with Je­sus?
13. Who Cares for a Soul?
14. Wondrous Cross, The

1. Drifting Down
2. Nearer Home