The south has a lot of success in the east because the overall Southern strategy ended up devoting disproportionate resources to the eastern theatre in order to protect Richmond. Thus during the Civil War, the South experienced the most military success in the East. The South had the best general in the war who is Robert E. Lee on their side. He commanded ally troops that were positioned in the eastern areas while the south had General Lee in charge and the Union had a commander that was much less effective.