José Gregorio Esparza
José Gregorio Esparza | |
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Born | San Antonio de Béxar, Republic of Texas | February 25, 1802
Allegiance | Republic of Texas |
Service/ | Texas Militia |
Unit | Capt. Juan Seguín Company |
Battles/wars | Texas Revolution |
Spouse(s) | Ana Salazar |
José Gregorio Esparza (February 25, 1802 – March 6, 1836), also known as Gregorio Esparza, was the last Texan defender to enter the Alamo during the early days of March 1836 in the Siege of the Alamo[1] and was the only one that was not burned in the pyres. He had brought his family into the Alamo compound along with him. They were able to survive the battle and were not executed by the conquering army.
Early life and family
He was born on February 25, 1802, in San Antonio de Béxar, the child of Juan Antonio and Maria Petra (Olivas) Esparza. He married Ana (Anna) Salazar, they had a daughter and three sons. His family was also in the Alamo during the siege and were eventually freed after it.[2]
Texas Revolution
Esparza joined the volunteer
General
Esparza survivors of the Battle of the Alamo
His family members were spared and are listed as official non-combatant survivors of the Battle of the Alamo. María de Jesús Castro also known as María de Jesús Esparza was the young step daughter of Esparza, who was also spared after the battle. His wife, Ana Esparza died in 1847, and the family was left without parents. Between 1850 and 1860, Gregorio's sons, Enrique, Manuel and Francisco filed pension petitions to gain the rights to land at Pleasanton, Texas. Enrique, a San Antonio truck-farmer, also in the Alamo during the siege, was rediscovered in 1901 and became a recorded eyewitness of what transpired during the siege. His brother, Manuel owned a general store in Pleasanton, and later served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Francisco would also serve in the Confederate Army and later became a Texas Ranger. He eventually moved to Tucson, Arizona, and became a law officer in the area.[6][7]
Dedication
In 1970, Northside Independent School District purchased 10 acres from Science Park to open an elementary school. Because the school was built in the Culebra Park subdivision, the district planned to call the school, "Culebra Park Elementary". Members of the community then joined and petitioned the school board to name the school for a famous Hispanic individual since the neighborhood was predominately Hispanic. After extensive research, it was decided that the Alamo hero, Gregorio Esparza, would be an appropriate namesake for the school.
And thus, Gregorio Esparza Elementary School opened in early 1972 & is located near the Far West Side of San Antonio at 5700 Hemphill Drive.
See also
- List of Texan survivors of the Battle of the Alamo
Tejanos who served under Juan Seguín
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Republic of Texas service post-San Jacinto
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Sources:
- "San Jacinto Museum of History - The Kemp Sketches". San Jacinto Museum of History.
- MacDonald, L. Lloyd (2009). Tejanos in the 1835 Texas Revolution. Pelican Publishing. pp. 260–262. ISBN 978-1589806382.
- Teja, Jesus F. De la; Matovina, Timothy; Poché, Justin (2013). Recollections of a Tejano Life: Antonio Menchaca in Texas History. University of Texas Press. p. 90. ISBN 978-0292748651.
- Texas State Archives, Republic of Texas Claims
- Texas A & M professor Wallace L. McKeehan, also on the school's Board of Regents website: Hispanic Texian Patriots in the Struggle for Independence
- Handbook of Texas
Citations
- Citations
- ^ Lindley (2003), p. 94.
- ^ a b Groneman (1990), p. 45.
- ^ a b Lindley (2003), p. 113.
- ^ Todish (1998), p. 79.
- ^ Groneman (1990), p. 46.
- ^ Matthews (1996).
- ^ Bill Groneman, "ALAMO NONCOMBATANTS," Handbook of Texas Online [1], accessed April 26, 2011. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
References
- Groneman, Bill (1990), Alamo Defenders, A Genealogy: The People and Their Words, Austin, TX: Eakin Press, ISBN 0-89015-757-X
- Lindley, Thomas Ricks (2003), Alamo Traces: New Evidence and New Conclusions, ISBN 1-55622-983-6
- Todish, Timothy J.; Todish, Terry; Spring, Ted (1998), Alamo Sourcebook, 1836: A Comprehensive Guide to the Battle of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution, Austin, TX: Eakin Press, ISBN 978-1-57168-152-2
- Matthews, Cahndice (1996), Gregorio Esparza: Alamo Hero, Austin, TX: Eakin Press, ISBN 1-57168-061-6