Horatio Gates at Saratoga, 1777

Horatio Gates’ medal commemorates the victories of the 1777 Battles of Saratoga. Gates had sought to command the Continental Army, but his defensive efforts paled in comparison with General George Washington’s victories at Princeton and Trenton. Instead, Gates took command of the Northern Department relieving Philip Schuyler from his leadership role. Gates was then in charge of the 12,000 continental troops who fended off British General Burgoyne’s attempted advance into Saratoga from Vermont. Although Gates did not fight on the battlefield alongside commanders  Benedict Arnold, John Stark, and Daniel Morgan, he received credit for the victory and a medal in his honor.

Nicholas-Marie Gatteaux engraved this medal. The obverse depicts a left-facing bust of Gates in military uniform. On the reverse, General Burgoyne bows slightly as he presents his sword to Gates. Behind the men are the British and American armies.