The 1854 Gazetteer of the United States by Thomas Baldwin shows:

MADISON, a county in the central part of Florida, bordering on Georgia and the Gulf of Mexico, contains about 2500 square miles. It is bounded on the E. by the Suwanee river, and on the W. by the Ocilla river. The surface is undulating; the soil in some parts is productive. Cotton, sugar-cane, Indian corn, and sweet potatoes are the staples. In 1850 this county produced 5024 bales of cotton: 119,640 bushels of corn, and 42,799 of sweet potatoes. There were 2 saw mills, 1 wheelwright establishment, and 1 tannery. It contained 12 churches, 140 pupils attending public schools, and 100 attending academies or other schools. Capital, Madison. Population, 5490; of whom 2802 were free, and 2688, slaves.