The Greeks failed to capture Vonitsa during the next seven years of revolutionary struggle. Hundreds of civilians, though, returned to their homes, while the Ottomans remained masters of the castle. Things changed dramatically in late 1828, when a Greek flotilla managed to evade the ferocious artillery installed by the Ottomans at the entrance near Preveza and enter the gulf. At the same time Richard Church, commander of the Greek army, marched towards the town and encircled it. His first goal was to save the lives of the Christian population; more than 2,000 men, women, and children were evacuated, along with their movable property. Then he settled down for the long siege.