From Abraham Lincoln to Robert E. Lee, there were many influential leaders of the Civil War. The South had the best generals, but the North had a huge amount of resources that the South didn't have, such as soldiers, ammunition, and food. The leader of the North was Abraham Lincoln. He was adamantly against war, and waited for the South to strike first. The president of the South, or the Confederate States Of America was Jefferson Davis. He was a pushover, but chose great generals. One he chose was Robert E. Lee, who was then one of the best generals ever. The North's general was Ulysses S. Grant, a man from Ohio. These were the most influential people of the Civil War.