He saw his first sea duty in the frigate Cyane between 1819 and 1821 when she cruised to the western coast of Africa to protect the new colony of former slaves recently established by the United States.

Next, he served briefly in the sloop Natchez and in the schooner Grampus in 1831, before being assigned to Vincennes in June 1833 for a three-year cruise around the world in search of shipwrecked and stranded American seamen.

Returning to the east coast in June 1836, Bailey saw duty in the ship-of-the-line Ohio before going ashore for a two-year tour at the New York Navy Yard from 1838 to 1840.

During the closing phase of the war Bailey led his command in a blockade of the coast around San Blas in Lower California and even made a successful raid on the town in January 1847, capturing several pieces of ordnance in the process.

Relieved at Panama on December 16, 1856, Bailey spent the four years immediately preceding the Civil War ashore, first on some unspecified special duty and then awaiting orders.

On June 3, 1861, he put the steam frigate Colorado back in commission at Boston and set sail a fortnight later to join the Gulf Blockading Squadron.

Though Bailey technically retained command of Colorado until the beginning of May 1862, he was performing other duties in conjunction with the assault on the defenses of New Orleans by April 1862.

Heading south again in November 1862, Bailey relieved Acting Rear Admiral James L. Lardner as flag officer commanding the East Gulf Blockading Squadron.

[1][3] He was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C.[4] Bailey was instrumental in developing a primitive "thruster system," the principles of which are still in use today.