A report on Watertown, Massachusetts and Israel Bissell

He reportedly rode for four days and six hours, covering the 345 miles from Watertown, Massachusetts to Philadelphia along the Old Post Road, shouting "To arms, to arms, the war has begun", and carrying a message from General Joseph Palmer, which was copied at each of his stops and redistributed.

Another Watertown citizen, Israel Bissel, was the first rider to take the news of the British attack and rode all the way to Connecticut, New York and Philadelphia.