We consider historical and legal aspects of social and class status of minor members of “military class”: soldiers’ children, recruit’s children, soldiers’ daughters. These children had special status in legislation and law enforcement practice in Russian Empire in 18th-19th century as they were born in the families of recruits, lower ranks soldiers during their service in Russian army, retired soldiers, soldiers on indefinite leave and service-disabled veterans. On the basis of wide range of archival and published materials we reconstructed the legal regulation and social characteristics of “military offspring” in military forces and civil society. We also reveal recorded in primary archival documents and legal acts social and legal, class and household collisions and trends, which determined life and destiny of “military children”. We clarify statistical uncertainties, which occurred during estimation members of military class - soldiers’ children - in Russian province. We also give detailed historiographic assessment of studying legal status of cantonists and soldiers’ daughters. We conclude about the prospects of studying this scientific problem by domestic historians, as well as the presence of primary archival documents, which are waiting for the introduction into scientific circulation. It is proved that the category of “soldiers’ children” was not only a subject, but was often the object of Russian legislation, this category also made it possible to successfully defend their rights. We reveal features of transformation of the former canto- nists into professional soldiers, and also their role in military and social history of the Russian Empire of the considered chronological period.