He was born in Juniata County, Pa., Feb. 22, 1818. Mr. Madison received but a limited education, as there were no free schools in the locality in which his parents resided, and the time passed in the school-room hardly exceeded a year, He labored to assist in the maintenance of the family, and when seventeen years of age served an apprenticeship of three years to the wagon-making trade with Samuel Riddle, of Mifflin, Pa. While following his trade in Huntingdon County, Pa., he made the acquaintance of a German scholar, and a teacher in the seminary at Huntingdon. From this gentleman Mr. Madison received instruction in his studies, and made considerable progress. He subsequently studied law, and was admitted to the bar at Huntingdon in 1848. He now had a profession but an empty pocket, and not being able to secure clients, or rather to pay board and wait for them, he secured a job of ratting timber on the rivers for bridges for the Pennsylvania Central Railroad. Mr. Madison came to Iowa, arriving at Ottumwa on the first day of July. He had at that time about $10,000 in money besides some real estate and at once erected the first circular steam sawmill in this part of the State, locating it in Davis County, near the Wapello County line, and operated it with signal success for about two years. Upon the breaking out of the late Civil War our subject raised a goodly number of men and accompanied them to Keokuk. His company was mustered into service with the 16th regiment, and he served as Captain of the same until 1868, when he resigned his commission, because he was not the man to tolerate imposition even from a superior officer. Returning home from the war our subject purchased a steam sawmill, which he operated in connection with his farming for a number of years. In polities Capt. Madison was a Democrat. He represented his district in the General Assembly in 1875-76, and was also a member of the Senate in 1878-80. His term expired in the Senate while he was in Texas, or he no doubt would have been reelected. He was elected Mayor of Ottumwa in 1884, and re-elected in 1885. He was a candidate for the Senate in 1885, and was defeated by only twenty-one votes. Capt. Madison was united in marriage with Miss Sarah J, Livingstone in 1863. She was a native of Indiana.
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