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"The defense of the town was left to a small army of less than 3,000 men against the enemy; never less than 12,000, and sometimes as many as 25,000, and always within a day's march. The regiment engaged the enemy at Willow Creek near Mystic Falls, Virgina. They were driven back across the river until nightfall, when fighting subsided and they made camp on the 7th April 1865. The remaining troops left camp and moved three miles along the river's south bank. They were determined to make a stand near the Braunwarth Mill, a little below the Falls where Willow Creek meets the river proper, because its right flank could be protected by the high bluffs. The battle lasted into the night. In the morning, the remaining troops retreated into the fortification at Mystic Falls."
— Written by Mr. Tanner in Pilot

The Battle of Willow Creek took place at the end of the American Civil War. The battle resulted in a union victory with the outnumbered Confederate troops retreating to Mystic Falls.

History[]

In 1864,the Founding Families trapped 27 vampires inside Fell's Church and was set on fire. The citizens of the town who were in the know about vampires believed that the vampires were killed, but, unbeknownst to them, they were protected by Emily Bennett's crystal, which trapped them in the tomb with the power of the passing comet. The Founders claimed the church was set ablaze because of the nearby battle so as to not draw suspicion. Katherine, who was exposed as a vampire to Giuseppe Salvatore and was subsequently captured with the intention to burn her in the fire as well, but she escaped from Fell's Church before it was set on fire with help from George Lockwood.

Before the church was burned, Damon Salvatore asked Emily Bennett to protect Katherine, but to protect her, all had to be protected. In exchange for her help, Emily made Damon promise to protect her living descendants.

Throughout The Vampire Diaries Series[]

Season One[]

In Pilot, Mr. Tanner was teaching a lesson about the Battle of Willow Creek. After calling on and getting no answers from Bonnie Bennett, Matt Donovan, or Elena Gilbert, new student Stefan Salvatore spoke up and answered his question, that there were were 346 casualties of war, unless he was counting local civilians. Mr. Tanner responded that there were no civilian casualties in this battle. Stefan corrected him saying that there were 27 Confederate soldiers and they fired on the church, believing it to be housing weapons. Such information can be found in the founder's archives that are stored in civil hall. Mr Tanner, however, dropped the question.

In Family Ties, Damon explained that the history books left out was the people that were killed, they weren't there by accident. They were believed to be union sympathizers. So some of the founders on the confederacy side back then wanted them rounded up and burned alive. The original Salvatore brothers, Stefan and Damon, had someone they loved very much in that church and when they went to rescue them, they were shot. Murdered in cold blood.

In History Repeating, Damon claim clean with Stefan and told him that there was a tomb underneath the church and that Emily Bennett's spell sealed Katherine in that tomb, protecting her and 26 other vampires.

In Founder's Day, Alaric Saltzman, the replacement history teacher, had his history class recreate the battle as a float for the Founders' Day Celebration.

Trivia[]

  • In Dark Reunion, the ghosts are described as civil war soldiers, or people who died during hostile events near of Fell's Church.

Gallery[]

References[]

See also[]

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