"Tradition: • Washington’s army crossing the Delaware in the freezing conditions has become an important national image for the United States as can be seen in Emmanuel Leutze’s picture. • Present at the battle were: two other future presidents James Madison and James Monroe, the future Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Marshall, Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton.
There are many inaccuaracies in the Leutze painting, but let me repeat: James Madison was never in the Continental Army and did NOT accompany Washington during the New Jersey campaign. He was in Virginia at the time. So yes--those references are wrong. Madison, while brilliant, was physically small (5'4") and sickly. Here's one source:
Madison, James (1751-1836) Statesman, 4th President of the US: Madison grew up in Virginia, studied at the College of New Jersey, now Princeton, and returned to Virginia without a clear career path. In 1774, dismayed by the persecution of Protestant dissenters in his home county, he sought public office in order to bring an end to religious persecution. Although he was a slave owner, he expressed distaste for his position, but could not find an opportunity to fight slavery. His frail body prevented him from joining the military when the colonies broke with England, but Madison fought politically by becoming a representative to the Virginia Convention, which voted to cut ties with Britain and create one of the first state constitutions and bills of rights. Madison's suggestion of changing the wording from "toleration" of religion to "free exercise" of worship made a tremendous impact on the eventual attitude toward religion that would be espoused by the federal constitution. Madison was placed on the state executive council, where he met and befriended Thomas Jefferson. snip...