The Scottish belt is a symbol of allegiance to the Chief's Crest which it surrounds. On the SAMS emblem, it signifies allegiance to the principle that liberty was won and is preserved with armed force .
The centerpeice of the Society Emblem is the back-country rifleman, wearing the hunting shirt, armed with his flintlock rifle and belt ax.
King's Mountain is recognized as one of the decisive battles and a major turning point in the Revolutionary War. An unusually high percentage of the men who fought on both sides at Kings Mountain were of Scottish or Scotch-Irish bloodlines. Scotch-Irish Colonel William Campbell was commander of the Patriot forces and the Loyalists were led by Lt. Col. Patrick Ferguson, a highland Scot. As was so often the case in Scottish history, the fight was between those who opposed the Crown and those who supported it.
The Patriots wore a twist of white paper in their hat bands for a "friend or foe" recognition. The Loyalists wore a twig of evergreen for the same purpose. The evergreen probably had Scottish origins.
For years prior to Culloden, the bayonet was not effective against the targe, broadsword and Claymore. The Loyalists tried the bayonet as the decisive weapon at Kings Mountain. It was no match for the rifle, backed by the belt ax and the hunting knife.
As early as 1644 the MacDonalds, who were supporting Charles I, were sent "to ravage the territory around Loch Etive with fire and sword". The words were used as challenge and response by the Patriots before the battle of Cowpens: challenge "with fire" - response "and sword". The battle of Kings Mountain resulted directly from Col. Ferguson's threat to destroy the over-mount settlements "with fire and sword".