When the Civil War broke out he enlisted in Company H, 24th Pennslyvania Regiment of " Captain Thomas A. Smyth's ".   He was noted as being 5' 9" tall, light complexioned, blue eyes and sandy hair.   When his three month enlistment ran out, he joined the " 1st Delaware Infantry ".

         In September, 1861, " McCarren " was promoted to corporal.   The 1st Delaware was then transferred to Fortress Monroe, Virginia where they fought in the " Battle of Chantilly " on September 1, 1862.

         The " 1st Delaware Infantry " then found itself assigned with " General George B. McClellan " who was moving to intercept Rebel " General Robert E. Lee " as he advanced into Maryland.   They met at a place by the Antietam creek in Sharpsburg, Maryland and there they fought in the " Battle of Antietam ".

         After the Battle of Antietam the regiment marched via Harper's Ferry to Fredericksburg where it went into battle in December as part of the 3rd Division of " General Winfield Scott Hancock's Second Corp ".   See the " Battle of Fredericksburg ".

     " McCarren's " deed of valor came on the third day of the " Battle Of Gettysburg ".    There the 1st Delaware Infantry Regiment was a part of " Lt. Colonel Thomas A. Smyth's 2nd Brigade " ( bio link ) ~ " Brig. General Henry Hays's 3rd Division " of " Major General Hancock's II Corps ".

         This day, July 3, 1863, the 1st Delaware Infantry was placed on Cemetery Ridge behind a short stone wall.   About .9 of a mile in front, the Rebels were forming and preparing for what was to become known as " Pickett's Charge ".   Finally, after a long bombardment the solid gray line of 15,000 men came into view and advanced.

         " Col. Thomas A. Smyth " ordered the 1st Delaware to hold their fire until the Rebels were only 50 yards away.   Then " Open Fire ! " was the command and the four lines of soldiers let loose with a volley.   The deadly fire stunned the Rebels but they still kept coming and falling.   Finally, the charge faltered some 40 feet in front of the Delaware men.

         Regimental Commander " Lieutenant William Smith " led a countercharge as the 1st Delaware men jumped over the wall.   " Lt. Smith " was later found dead with his sword in one hand and a captured flag in the other.

         " Corporal McCarren " was luckier than most as he captured the battle flag of the 13th Alabama and his fellow Delawarean " Private John B. Maberry " ( who also received a " Medal of Honor " ) captured the battle flag of the 7th North Carolina and both lived to tell about it.

         " McCarren " received his medal one year, four months and 28 days after his heroic deed.   He was on detached service at the time in Washington, D.C. where he was discharged in December of 1863.   He promptly reenlisted and on May 6, 1864 he was wounded in the " Battle of the Wilderness ".   A musket ball was removed from his left scapula and he was hospitalized for 8 months.   " McCarren " was mustered out of service on July 22, 1865, when he returned to Wilmington, Delaware.

         " Bernard McCarren " had married Mary Ann Traynor before the war in 1855.   They had two children who both died young.

         " Bernard McCarren " died at the age of 40 in 1870 from Dysentery and was interred in Wilmington's Old Cathedral Cemetery (next to the current Wilmington-Brandywine Cemetery) which has since been paved over for a new roadbed.   A marker has since been placed in the Wilmington-Brandywine Cemetery in his honor.

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