Cotten was born 18 December 1874 in Wilson, N.C. to Robert Randolph Cotten and Sallie Sims Southall Cotten.^[1] His father was a Confederate States Army Colonel and later served as both state representative and state senator.^[2]

Cotten studied at Bronson's School in Warrenton and Horner's School in Oxford. He entered the United States Naval Academy in 1894, graduating with the class of 1898. His graduation occurred two months early due to the impending Spanish–American War, in which he also participated.^[1] After serving at sea, he studied at the Naval War College, and was naval attaché to Japan and China. In World War I, he was awarded the Navy's Distinguished Service Medal for establishing and commanding the naval base at Plymouth, England.

Further service in command at sea, on staff duty, and again as naval attaché in Tokyo preceded important duties in Washington, D.C. He wrote several articles for the United States Naval Institute's Proceedings, of whom "Commerce Destroying in War" won the Institute's Gold Medal in 1917. He also wrote a number of songs that proved popular among Navy sailors.^[1]

While at sea commanding Richmond (CL-9) he collapsed with a high fever. He was put ashore at the Naval Hospital at Norfolk, Virginia, where he died of pneumonia on 12 January 1926. His body was transferred to Arlington National Cemetery,^[1] where he is buried in Section 4, Plot 3331.

In 1943, the destroyer USS Cotten (DD-669) was named in his honor.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.