Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, a son of William Henry Bagley, he graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1895.

In November he was appointed inspector of the new torpedo-boat, USS Winslow and when she went into commission on December 28, he was assigned as her executive officer under Lieutenant John Baptiste Bernadou.

On the morning of May 11 the ship went with USRC Hudson and USS Wilmington to force the entrance to the harbor of Cárdenas.

She was fired upon by the Spanish gunboat Antonio López, and immediately there was a general engagement.

From the 1901 Encyclopaedia of United States History This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.