USS Madison

Three United States Navy ships have been named Madison, the first two in honor of James Madison, fourth President of the United States, and the third after Commander James Jonas Madison, who won the Medal of Honor in World War I.

• The first Madison was a 14-gun schooner launched in 1812 on Lake Ontario and used in the War of 1812.

• The second Madison was Van Buren-class schooner, designed by Edward Preble and built in 1832 for United States Revenue Service. She was 73 ft long with a 22 ft beam, displaced 112 tons, and mounted one 20-pounder gun. As part of the mosquito fleet, Madison served against the Seminole Indians in Florida in 1841 and 1842, then was returned to the Treasury Department and later (1850) to the United States Coastal Survey.

• The third Madison (DD-425) was a destroyer in World War II.