complied by: Halsema.org Editors

1st Cpl. Philip Leonardy lived in Jacksonville and enlisted 24 May 1861 at Saint Augustine [Third Infantry, Company B, “Saint Augustine Blues”]. He was appointed 3rd Sgt. 8 May 1862. In early, 1863, his wife and two children were banished from St. Augustine by the Federals because he was in the Confederate Army. In Mid 1863 he was elected 2nd Lt. He was captured 18 Dec 1864 near Nashville and sent to Johnson’s Island prison. He was released on oath 16 June 1865 and was 5′ 10″, dark skin, eyes and hair. After the war he lived in Enterprise.
Transferred Company B, 3rd Infantry Regiment Florida on 09 April 1865
Transfered in Company B, 1st Infantry Regiment Florida on 09 April 1865.
Surrendered Company B, 1st Infantry Regiment Florida on 26 April 1865 in Orange County, NC
Oath Allegiance on 16 June 1865 at Johnson’s Island, OH (Released)

“Philip Leonardi a cattle buyer and meat packer from St. Augustine became a mediator between feuding Central Florida cattlemen. He butchered a large number of cattle each day for the Jacksonville and Charleston markets. Ranchmen respected him for his integrity, plus the fact that he was a son of Don Roque. A clever man, he was able to soften the fudes between the cattlemen and gradually reduce the killings.”
[See Eve Bacon’s Orlando: A Centennial History, Volume 1, page 32.]

Died in Titusville, FL.
Phillip would go to Tampa on cattle drives and come back with large sums of money. On the return trip he would climb oak trees and sleep high up for safety. On these trips the men would drain water through their handkerchiefs to drink.
Phillip spoke Spanish fluently which enabled him to conduct considerable business with Cuba. He would act as interpreter and also conduct some of his cattle trade with Cubans. –Philip Beasley via Doug Halsema

The Aftermath of The Barber-Mizell Feud
The hasty departure of the Barbers did not bring peace to the area. A flood saturated the region’s farmland and destroyed the farmers’ crops. They turned to cattle as the only viable source of income, which resulted in even more rustling, murder, and lawlessness.

In the single year of 1871, there were forty-one reported murders in Orange County. The fact that only ten cases were ever brought to court and NO guilty verdicts returned speaks for the ineffectiveness of the Reconstruction Era justice system in dealing with crime. Peace was finally achieved when private citizens like Philip Leonardy of St. Augustine realized the lawlessness was cutting into the industry’s profitability and worked tirelessly to mediate disputes.

Feelings between the feuding families continued to simmer below the surface for many years. In fact, the feud did not really come to an end for at least three generations when William J. Barber-a grandson of the murdered Isaac Barber-and Mary Ida Mizell-a descendant of Judge John Mizell-were married. Today, though verbal barbs might still be tossed about, they are generally good-humored in nature.