It is known that Jeff's father died at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. Jeff is about 12 years old, so the date of this story would be about 1875. After Charlie's horses run out of control, by the time Bill Hawkes catches up and helps get it stopped, the wagon has broken apart and looks like a chariot, so Bill calls Charlie 'Ben-Hur,' obviously referring the Lew Wallace's book "Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ." This book was written in 1880.