David W. Mizell, the Orange County Sheriff, was ambushed and killed on February 21, 1870, near Holopaw, Florida, in what is now Osceola County. Mizell was on his way to arrest cattleman Moses E. Barber when he was shot. The ambush was the result of a long-standing feud between the Mizell and Barber families over the payment of taxes on cattle. Moses Barber had refused to pay what he considered unfair taxes, leading Mizell and his family to seize Barber's cattle as payment for delinquent taxes. Despite Barber's public warnings to Mizell to stay off his property, Mizell proceeded, resulting in his death.
The murder of David W. Mizell sparked a series of revenge killings between the Mizell and Barber families, known as the Barber-Mizell feud. Within weeks of Mizell's death, retaliatory killings occurred on both sides, reportedly resulting in over thirteen deaths. The feud continued for decades, with tensions between the families remaining high. The conflict only officially ended in 1940 when members of the Barber and Mizell families intermarried.
Moses Barber, the primary suspect in Mizell's murder, was never formally charged or tried for the crime. The lack of legal action against Barber and others involved in the feud highlights the lawlessness and challenges of enforcing justice in post-Civil War Florida. The feud and Mizell's murder are significant events in Florida's history, illustrating the intense disputes over cattle and taxes during that period. Today, the Mizell family homestead can be visited at the Harry P. Leu Botanical Gardens in Winter Park, serving as a historical reminder of the violent past.
