An Enigmatic Report

When a felt report is found for the New Madrid earthquakes the hope is that it will be informative with specifics like date, time and effect of the earthquake at that location.  Many times the report will only have one or two of those pieces of information that are needed to make it a totally useful felt report.

Here is an example that informs and mystifies at the same time;

This is one of the northernmost felt reports for the New Madrid earthquakes from Prairie Du Chein in Wisconsin.  At the time of the earthquakes is was an isolated trading post and on the far edge of American occupation of the Louisiana Territory.  The report lacks some crucial information.  For instance it does not give the date the earthquake was felt. One is left guessing which one of the three main earthquakes the author is talking about.  The other information is on effect and leaves the researcher wanting more information.  It relates that the earthquake was "severely felt" without defining what that would be.  No information on the specific effects is given meaning little can be done to quantify the report. It also mentions that the earthquake is noted in "several letters" holding hope that they might survive in some archival collection and provide more information.  Somtimes a hint like this can provide clues on finding more information on the earthquakes.  It give the researcher more incentive to dig for information.
(Source New Madrid Compendium, Far Field Catalog, Article "We Have Learned..." Worthington, Ohio, Western Intelligencer, March 27, 1812, Item Number 1205. ( Original Source St. Louis, Louisiana Gazette date unknown.