National cemeteries were first developed in the United States during the Civil War. Because of mounting war casualties, on July 17, 1862, Congress empowered President Abraham Lincoln to purchase cemetery grounds and have them securely enclosed for use as national cemeteries for soldiers who died in the service of the country. This small but significant new presidential power was granted in "An act to define the pay and emolument of certain officers of the Army, & for other purposes," an omnibus act that first stated and solidified the concept of a national cemetery in U.S. legislation. The dedication of Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery on October 3, 1999 marked the first national cemetery named after a president. Dedicated in September 2016, this life-size statue and memorial bench were the first statue of a president placed in a national cemetery, provided by the A.L.N.C. Support Committee through donations from veterans and their families, service organizations, businesses, student groups, and citizens of a grateful nation, and designed by the artists of the Friends of Community Public Art.