Question

from the dark game: true spy stories from invisible ink to cia moles
by paul b. janeczko
when the first shot of the civil war was fired at fort sumter in the morning on april 12, 1861, many believed that it would be a short conflict. even though fort sumter had to endure thirty-four hours of confederate bombardment before the union surrendered it, the union enjoyed a number of initially advantages over the confederacy. yet, by the time robert e. lee surrendered to ulysses grant at appomattox, virginia, some four years later, almost 620,000 soldiers had died on the battlefields, more than americas battle deaths in all other wars from the revolution through the vietnam war.
most of the war was fought in states south of washington, d.c., so southerners saw the union army as an invading force. for the union soldiers, this meant they had to fight in an unfamiliar and hostile territory. this matter of geography also aided the spies who worked behind enemy lines. northern spies could not often count on much hospitality from southerners. on the other hand, since so much of the war was fought in the south, confederate spies could usually find a safe home, or at least a sympathetic soul who was willing to offer a \good word\ or two in order to steer them away from the danger that present
what is the central idea of the first paragraph of the dark game?
during the civil war, fort sumter was overtaken by the confederacy.
the civil war lasted longer than people at first expected it to last.
the civil war was a short conflict between the north and the south.
during the civil war, there were many casualties on both sides.

Explanation:

The first paragraph starts by saying many thought the Civil War would be short. But it then details how it lasted much longer (Fort Sumter held out for 34 hours before Union surrender, over 620,000 soldiers died, more than in other American wars combined). This shows the main idea is about the war lasting longer than expected.

Answer:

The Civil War lasted longer than people at first expected it to last.