United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Friday, January 10, 1879
Age: 31
Tour of Duty: 2 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Duty related illness
Date of Incident: January 10, 1879
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
L.C. Crowell was elected sheriff of Kinney County on June 23, 1875; re-elected on February 15, 1876; and served until November 5, 1878. He was then appointed a deputy U.S. Marshal by Stillwell Russell, the U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Texas. During the course of his duties as a deputy U.S. Marshal, Crowell contracted smallpox. Even though he was extremely sick, he continued to help other victims of the disease. On January 10, 1879, Crowell died of the illness. Contemporary newspapers reported that while in the strict performance of his duty Crowell contracted a fatal case of smallpox, resulting in his untimely end.
Crowell was originally from Maine and moved to Fort Clark, Texas after the Civil War. He was survived by his wife and two young children. He was buried in the Ballantyne Family Cemetery in Brackettville, Kinney County.