ossession of the land are intruders, I have to direct
that you will visit the New York Reserve in Kansas at your earliest
convenience, accompanied by those Indians living among the Osages to
whom said lands have been allotted, with a view to place them in
possession of the lands to which they are entitled; and if you should
meet with any forcible resistance from white settlers you will report
their names to this office, in order that appropriate action may be
taken in the premises, and you will inform them that if they do not
immediately abandon said lands they will be removed by force. When you
shall have given the thirty-two Indians peaceable possession of their
lands, or attempted to do so and have been prevented by forcible
resistance, you will make a report of your action to this Bureau.

The records of the Indian Bureau do not disclose that any report was
ever made by the agent to whom these instructions were given.

In 1861 and 1862 mention was made by the agents of the destitute
condition of these Indians and of their being deprived of their lands,
and in these years petitions were presented in their behalf asking that
justice be done them on account of the failure of the Government to
provide them with homes.

In the meantime, and in December, 1860, the remainder of the reserve not
allotted to the thirty-two survivors was thrown open to settlement by
Executive proclamation. Of course this was followed by increased
conflict between the settlers and the Indians. It is presumed that it
became dangerous for those to whom lands had been allotted to attempt to
gain possession of them. On the 4th day of December, 1865, Agent Snow
returned twenty-seven of the certificates of allotment which had not
been delivered, and wrote as follows to the Indian Bureau:

A few of these Indians were at one time put in possession of their
lands. They were driven off by the whites; one Indian was killed, others
wounded, and their houses burned. White men at this time have possession
of these lands, and have valuable improvements on them. The Indians are
deterred even asking for possession. I would earnestly ask, as agent for
these wronged and destitute people, that some measure be adopted by the
Government to give these Indians their rights.

An official report made to the Secretary of the Interior dated February
16, 1871, gives the history of these lands, and concludes as follows:

These lands are now all or nea