[1] He was educated in Georgia, and in 1832 he purchased a farm in Fairfax in partnership with his brother Hiram.
[1] They operated the farm for several years, after which James Hotchkiss established himself as a merchant in Fairfax.
[7] During and immediately after the conflict, he took part in political conventions of the Union Party, which aimed to fuse Republicans and pro-Union Democrats in support of the war effort and Reconstruction measures that were less severe than those proposed by Radical Republican movement.
[7] After returning to Fairfax, Hotchkiss remained active in politics as a delegate to numerous Republican conventions,[8] and in local offices including Town Meeting Moderator.
[9] He was involved in managing his business interests until 1874, after which he lived in retirement in Fairfax.