In 1861, many did not believe the Civil War would last long; however, the fighting lasted four years. Why so? Well, the Union and Confederacy had different standpoints on many things, one of these things being the primary reason for fighting. The Union opposed slavery, and the Confederacy favored slavery. One battle that was ironically long would have to be the first Battle of Bull Run. The Union initially thought this battle to be a breezy and easy battle because they had been on a roll. The Confederacy, however, thought otherwise. The Union was fighting with poorly trained volunteers and they lost because the Confederacy simply did better.