Miles Benjamin McSweeney (April 18, 1855 – September 29, 1909) was the 87th governor of South Carolina from June 2, 1899, to January 20, 1903.

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Miles Benjamin McSweeney
87th Governor of South Carolina
In office June 2, 1899 – January 20, 1903
Lieutenant	Robert B. Scarborough James H. Tillman
Preceded by	William Haselden Ellerbe
Succeeded by	Duncan Clinch Heyward
62nd Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina
In office January 18, 1897 – June 2, 1899
Governor	William Haselden Ellerbe
Preceded by	W.H. Timmerman
Succeeded by	Robert B. Scarborough
Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from Hampton County
In office November 27, 1894 – January 12, 1897
Personal details
Born	(1855-04-18)April 18, 1855 Charleston, South Carolina
Died	September 29, 1909(1909-09-29) (aged 54) Baltimore, Maryland
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	Washington and Lee University
Profession	Newspaper editor

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Born in Charleston, McSweeney's father died when he was four years old.^[1] He started working at a young age to help support his family, as a paperboy and a clerk in a bookstore.^[1] He became corresponding secretary of the Columbia Typographical Union.^[1]

He studied at evening school and earned the Typographical Union of Charleston Scholarship to attend Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, but later had to withdraw due to lack of funds.^[1]

McSweeney served in the state militia with the rank of major, and was later promoted to lieutenant colonel.^[1] In 1877, he started publishing the Ninety-Six Guardian at the age of 22, and moved to Hampton two years later to start the Hampton County Guardian.^[1]

In 1894, McSweeney was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives and additionally served as the chairman of the Hampton County Democratic Party.^[1] He successfully ran for Lieutenant Governor in 1896 and was elevated to the governorship following the death of Governor William Haselden Ellerbe on June 2, 1899. ^[1]

A proponent of the state Dispensary and backed by Senator Ben Tillman, McSweeney won a term on his own in the gubernatorial election of 1900.^{[citation needed]} However, many in Hampton were in favor of prohibition and the Hampton County Guardian lost advertising revenue and subscriptions because of McSweeney's support of the Dispensary.^{[citation needed]}

Upon the completion of his term as governor in 1903, McSweeney returned to Hampton and continued as editor of the Hampton County Guardian. ^{[citation needed]}

He died in Charleston on September 29, 1909, and was buried at Hampton Cemetery in Hampton.^[1]