Executive Order: Niobrara Reserve

Executive Order: Niobrara Reserve

Niobrara Reserve

[In the Santee Agency; occupied by the Santee Sioux; established by act of March 3, 1863 (12 Stat., 819), and treaty April 29, 1868, article 6, paragraph 4.]

February 26, 1866

Department of the Interior
Washington, D.C.

Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith a letter addressed to this Department by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, requesting the reservation from preemption or sale of townships 31 and 32 north, range 5 west, and townships 31 and 32 north, range 6 west of the principal sixth meridian, in Nebraska Territory, until the action of Congress be had, with a view to the setting apart of these townships as a reservation for the Santee Sioux Indians now at Crow Creek, Dakota; and recommend that you direct those lands to be withdrawn from market and held in reserve for the purpose indicated. 

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

James Harlan, Secretary


February 27, 1866

Executive Mansion 

Let the lands within named be withdrawn from the market and reserved for the purposes indicated. 

Andrew Johnson, President of the United States


July 20, 1866

Executive Mansion

Let the townships embraced within the lines shaded red on the within diagram be, in addition to those heretofore withdrawn from sale by my order of 27th February last, reserved from sale and set apart as an Indian reservation for the use of Sioux Indians, as recommended by the Secretary of the Interior, in letter of July 19, 1866.

Andrew Johnson, President

NOTE: The above order embraces township 31 north, range 8 west; township 31 north, range 7 west; that portion of township 32 north, range 7 west, lying south of the Rush-nan River; and that portion of township 32 north, range 6 west, lying south of the Missouri River.

[For diagram, see letter from the Commissioner of the General Land Office, dated November 23, 1878.]


November 15, 1867

Department of the Interior
Washington, D. C.

SIR: For the reasons mentioned in the accompanying copies of reports from the Acting Commissioner of Indian Affairs and the Commissioner of the General Land Office, dated, respectively, the 7th and 13th instant, I have the honor to recommend that you order the withdrawal from sale, and the setting apart for the use of the Santee Sioux Indians, the following-described tracts of land lying adjacent to the present Santee Sioux Indian Reservation in township 32 north of range 4 west of the sixth principal meridian in Nebraska, viz: Township 32 north, of range 4 west of the sixth principal meridian, and fractional section 7, fractional sections 16, fractional section 17, and sections 18, 19, 20, 21, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33, of fractional township 33, 32 north, of range 4 west of the sixth principal meridian, and fractional section 7, of fractional township No. 33 north, of range 6 west of the sixth principal meridian, now a portion of the reservation, be restored to market.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant.

O. H. Browning, Secretary


November 16, 1867

Let the within recommendations of the Secretary of the Interior be carried into effect.

Andrew Johnson