Complex sentence: Cochrane continued the battle over the next several days, successfully destroying several French ships, but without support from Gambier most of the French fleet was able to refloat and retreat up the Charente to safety.
Split into simpler sentences: Cochrane continued the battle over the next several days, successfully destroying several French ships, but with little support from Gambier. This allowed most of the French fleet to refloat and retreat up the Charente River to safety.