Answer:
C). the union forces became discouraged because they had hoped for a short war.
Explanation:
First Battle of Bull Run was the first major land battle of the Civil War in the United States, held on July 21, 1861 near Manassas (Virginia). The federal army, under the command of General Irwin MacDowell, attacked the Confederate army under the command of Generals Johnston and Beauregard, but was stopped and then fled. The federal army aimed to capture the important transport hub - Manassas, and the army of Beauregard took up defense at the turn of the small Bull Run River. Federal Commander-in-Chief Irwin MacDowell spent two days for reconnaissance, and during this time, army under the command of Johnston came to the aid of Beauregard.
On July 21, McDowell sent three divisions to bypass the left flank of the enemy; they succeeded in attacking and dropping several Confederate brigades, after which McDowell suspended the offensive. A few hours later he sent forward two artillery batteries and several infantry regiments, but the southerners met them on Henry Hill and repulsed all the attacks. The federal army lost 11 guns in these battles, and, hoping to recapture them, the command sent regiment after regiment into battle until all reserves were exhausted. Meanwhile, fresh brigades of the army of the South approached the battlefield and forced the retreat of the last reserve of the northerners - the Howard brigade. Howard's retreat initiated a general withdrawal of the entire federal army, which turned into an erratic escape. Southerners were able to allocate only a few regiments for the persecution, so they were not able to inflict significant damage on the enemy.
The Battle of Bull Run was the first major battle of the Civil War, after which many in the north finally saw what the war really was. The northerners had to part with the illusions that the war would last for several weeks, and the soldiers of the army of the South felt their strength.
