Yes. If the union wanted to let the south leave they would have changed the laws to allow it, and there would have been no war.
The south tried to secede to preserve slavery, but that is not material to the discussion as to whether the dead confederate soldiers were us citizens or not.
The justification was that the land the traitors were claiming as their own belonged to America. If they wanted to stop being Americans they had every right to leave, they just had no right take parts of America with them.
I mean, whether the Confederates were or were not Americans was secondary to the issue of "Can American states secede unilaterally?" to which the Union response was an overwhelming "No."
Judging by how many ran off to Brazil after the war was over, I think it's fair to not consider them (US) Americans.
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