Читать книгу The Medallic History of the United States of America 1776-1876 - J. F. Loubat - Страница 24

[Surrender of the British Army at Saratoga.]

HORATIO GATES DUCI STRENUO COMITIA AMERICANA. (The American Congress to Horatio Gates, a valiant general.) Bust of General Gates, in uniform, facing the left. N. GATTEAUX.

SALUS REGIONUM SEPTENTRIONAL. (Salus regionum septentrionalium: The safety of the northern regions.) Lieutenant-General Burgoyne is surrendering his sword to General Gates. In the background, on the left, the vanquished troops of Great Britain are grounding their arms and standards. On the right is the victorious American army, in order of battle, with colors flying.[29] Exergue: HOSTE AD SARATOGAM IN DEDITION. (deditionem) ACCEPTO DIE XVII. OCT. (Octobris) MDCCLXXVII. (The enemy surrendered at Saratoga, on the 17th of October, 1777.) On the platform, GATTEAUX, F. (fecit).[30]

The legend of the obverse of this medal, originally proposed by the French Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres, was horatio gates duci provido comitia americana; and that of the reverse, salus provinciarum septentrionalium.

Nicolas Marie Gatteaux was born in Paris, August 2, 1751, and in the latter part of the reign of Louis XVI. was appointed engraver of medals to the king. During the French Revolution he was intrusted with the execution of various works of art for different branches of the public service. The process followed in the printing of assignats, of bills of exchange, and of lottery tickets, as well as the printing-press which works at the same time with the dry and wet stamp, were his inventions. He designed and engraved a number of medals representing eminent persons, or important events of the period, including three relating to the War of Independence, viz., those of General Gates, General Wayne, and Major John Stewart He died in Paris, June 24, 1832.

Horatio Gates was born in Malden, England, in 1728. He entered the British army when young, and served under General Lord Cornwallis in Nova Scotia, and afterward under General Braddock in his campaign against Fort Duquesne, but, being severely wounded during the retreat, left the army and settled in Virginia. Having received a commission as adjutant-general, with the rank of brigadier, he accompanied Washington to Cambridge in July, 1775. While commander-in-chief of the northern army, he defeated General John Burgoyne at Stillwater, September 17, 1777, and received his surrender at Saratoga on the 17th of October following, for which most important achievement Congress gave him a vote of thanks and a gold medal.[31] He was appointed commander-in-chief of the southern department in June, 1780, but, being defeated shortly afterward at Camden, on the 16th of August, he was superseded by General Greene. During the remainder of the war he played no prominent part, and, at the conclusion of peace, retired to his estate, in Virginia. In 1790 he removed to New York city, where he died, April 10, 1806.