[4] At the Great Centennial Fair in Philadelphia in 1864, she was the head of the Department of Relics and Curiosities, which raised money for wounded soldiers.

[4][6] In this work, she was tireless, as described by Mary S. Donovan in A Different Call: Women's Ministries in the Episcopal Church, 1850-1920:she organized local auxiliaries, raised money, recruited teachers, and kept up a steady correspondence with the latter once they were placed.

She was a relentless fundraiser; even after the Avery estate had given $25,000 to build a normal school in southern Virginia, she pursued the family for additional funds.

She recruited both black and white teachers and was even willing to accept a non-Episcopalian “who was an excellent worker” as long as the latter would subscribe to the Episcopal form of worship.

Under Mrs. James’s leadership, the Pennsylvania branch was the only organization in the Episcopal Church that provided effective support for freedmen’s programs.