In the letter of 2 August 1457, Markezi de Vareze, informed the Duke of Milan about the Turkish expedition against George Castriot. The 60,000-strong army, under the command of Isa bej Evrenoz and traitor Hamza Castriot, flooded the Albanian lands. Scanderbeg took strategic strides and gave the first blows to the aggressor but could not withstand Ottoman fury. He always did the strategic pull, without interrupting the fierce and surprise raids, until he gave the final blow in early September.