Husband of Dorcas Wilkerson Mckinsar. Family history reports that James served in the Revolutionary War and served during that war under Gen. Francis Marion. He was present and partook of the noted potato supper in the swamps of south Carolina which consisted solely of sweet potatoes. This potato supper was given considerable notoriety by the British officer prisoner held by the Americans, who said that a people who could thus subsist and fight were unconquerable. Atterbury rode two different horses during that war, one named Red Buck and the other Queen Anne. James and Dorcas had eight children: Nancy, Dorcas, William, James Jr., Daniel, Ashford, Greenberry, and John. He is said to be buried on his grandson Willis Atterbury's Farm. The Atterbury Family Cemetery is about 4 miles north of Madison, MO.
--According to Voncille Attebery Winter, Ph.D., author of THE DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM ATTERBURY, 1733 ENGLISH EMIGRANT, James Atterbury: (1) migrated to Cooper County, Missouri, in 1817 and to Howard County, Missouri, in 1820 (p. 207), and (2) James Atterbury is listed in A COMPILATION OF REVOLUTIONARY SERVICE RECORDS OF VETERANS BURIED IN THE STATE OF MISSOURI, a private publication by Mrs. Hale Houts, who copyrighted the material in 1966. Mrs. Houts reported that her data was secured from the different DAR Chapters of the State Society. The report on James states: B. 1758, probably South Carolina near Camden. D. 1843, Monroe County, Missouri. Burial Willis Atterbury Cemetery 4 miles north Madison, Mo. Married Dorcas Wilkerson, or Dorcas Kinsar of South Carolina. Children: Nancy, Dorcas, William, James Jr., Daniel, Ashford, Greenberry, John. Service: With General Marion of South Carolina.