The Elizabeth Burford Bashinsky Chapter Number 236 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy celebrated Confederate Flay Day with a ceremony on the square in downtown Troy Tuesday and the placing of a wreath at the Confederate Soldiers Monument.

Eulalia Holston said that Letetia Christian Tyler was the first to observe Confederate Flag Day on March 4, 1953.

&uot;Letetia was the daughter of Col. John Tyler and the granddaughter of President John Tyler,&uot; Holston said.

March 4 is an important day in the history of the Confederacy because that is the date that the flag was first flown over the capitol in Montgomery which was the Capital of the Confederacy,&uot; Holston said.

Confederate Flay Day is celebrated in all states that were members of the Confederacy, but the flag that is flown is the &uot;Stars and Bars,&uot; not the Confederate battle flag.

&uot;The 'Stars and Bars' was designed by Nicola Marshall, a German immigrant,&uot; said Marsha Boutwell. &uot;It was designed as the flag of the Confederate states and was also used on the soldiers' uniforms. The 'Stars and Bars' was not used on the battlefield. Another flag was designed for that purpose because the 'Stars and Bars' and the American flag were so similar. If the wind was not blowing, it was almost impossible to tell them apart on the battlefield, so another flag had to be designed for the battlefield.&uot;

The Elizabeth Burford Bashinsky Chapter of the UDC has been in existence for 100 years.

&uot;To be a member of the UDC, you have to be a blood descendent of a Confederate soldier or sailor or to someone who gave material aid to the Confederate States of America,&uot; Boutwell said. &uot;We have 34 members and we always welcome new members. Anyone who qualifies as a member is encouraged to contact a member of the UDC so that we can get the process of membership under way.'

The Elizabeth Burford Bashinsky Chapter meets at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, September through June, and the Colley Senior Complex on Elm Street in Troy.

A program of historical significance is presented at each meeting.