In September 1786, Daniel Shays led an angry mob toward the state supreme court house in Springfield, Massachusetts. Forced to pay off property debts accrued while serving in the Revolutionary War, these men attempted to stop court proceedings in Springfield and to suspend additional foreclosures on their homes. The insurgents succeeded in obstructing the court for days and created additional bedlam throughout western Massachusetts for several months. The insurrection climaxed on January 23, 1787, when Shays followed through with his threat to seize the national arsenal at Springfield. The assault was repelled by a small detachment stationed at the arsenal, but the rebellion was not quelled until state troops, financed by donations from private businessmen in the eleventh hour, confronted Shays in Petersham. The Continental Congress was informed of rebellious activity as early as August 1786. The Secretary at War, Henry Knox, initiated a national response to the rebellion in late September and explicitly requested federal troops. Congress perceived Shays' Rebellion to be a threat of grave national concern.