Ka cika wannan magana: An haifi Atkinson a shekara ta 1824 a Salem, Massachusetts, yana zaune a wannan birni lokacin da ya shiga Navy. Ya yi aiki a matsayin babban jami'in a kan jirgin ruwa daga 1842 zuwa 1846 kuma ya shiga cikin kamawar 1844 na rundunar jiragen ruwa na Argentine a waje da tashar jiragen ruwa na Montevideo a cikin
Yakin basasa na Uruguay.