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How does one rationalize facts? It either happened or it didn't, and whenever the confederate army was in the North they sent free blacks that they captured down south back into slavery. It happened during Lee's campaign in Maryland in 1862. It happened in Lee's campaign in Pennsylvania in 1863. It happened when Early went into Pennsylvania and burned Chambersburg in 1864. As it happens the confederates were technically in violation of confederate law. Their constitution allowed for slave imports but only from the slave holding territories of the United States. Those that they kidnapped in Maryland were technically legal since Maryland was one of the slave holding states of the United States. Those abducted in Pennslyvania were not.

Well, I wanted you to explain where it was a "habit" for the Confederate Army to do that. Early traveled to fast and light for any significant number to be brought back in 1864 in Chambersburg, if any at all were brought back. During Lee's 1863 campaign, a few were brought back as spoils of war. That makes one valid example of slaves taken as spoils of war from free states. One example is not a habit.