José Gregorio Esparza, also known as Gregorio Esparza, was the last Texian defender to enter the Alamo during the early days of the siege and was the only Texian given a Christian burial following the battle.
Esparza joined the volunteer Texas army and traveled to Goliad where he became a follower of James Bowie. He brought his family into the Alamo as Santa Anna's forces approached and refused to leave when given a chance during an armistice. During the battle, he commanded artillery at the rear of the Chapel, where he was killed.
His brother was a soldier in Santa Anna's army and was given a chance to search for Esparza's body after the battle. Esparza's body was found and not burned in the funeral pyres. Esparza was buried in the San Antonio's Camp Santa Cemetery near his brothers who had preceded him in death. His wife and children were spared following the battle and are listed as official non-combatant survivors of the Battle of the Alamo.
