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] [Footnote 29: The "stars and stripes." Congress passed, June 14, 1777, the following resolution: _Resolved_, That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation. And it was to this new American flag that General Burgoyne surrendered. Congress changed the flag by the following act, which was approved January 13, 1794: _Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled_, That from and after the first day of May, anno Domini one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, the flag of the United States be fifteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be fifteen stars, white on a blue field. Congress made a second change by an act approved April 14, 1818: _Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled_, That from and after the fourth day of July next, the flag of the United States be thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be twenty stars, white on a blue field. SECTION 2. _And be it further enacted_, That on the admission of every new State into the Union, one star be added to the union of the flag; and that such addition shall take place on the fourth day of July then next succeeding such admission.] [Footnote 30: See INTRODUCTION, pages x, xi, xiii, xvi, xvii, xxx, xxxv; and B, xxxvi.] The legend of the obverse of this medal, originally proposed by (p. 009) the French Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres, was HORATIO GATES DUCI PROVIDO COMITIA AMERICANA; and that of the reverse, SALUS PROVINCIARUM SEPTENTRIONALIUM.