Pfeffersack
Deity
This seems to happen (only) in case you conquer a city you haven't found yourself, somehow lose it again (by force or here by returning a free city to the founding civ) and conquer it again:
Why I think it is a bug? Beside being too powerful and exploitable IMO, it is inconsistent with your own cities - if they defect and you take them back, you don't gain HC units gain, if the city has an EC.
To reproduce with the attached save(s):
1. Load first save, take Boston, get a HC and return it to original founder America
2. Continue the game for a couple of rounds and Boston will quickly become indepent again (alternatively, load my second save)
3. Either in the continued game or with my 2nd save, take Boston again and get a HC unit again
Spoiler :
Why I think it is a bug? Beside being too powerful and exploitable IMO, it is inconsistent with your own cities - if they defect and you take them back, you don't gain HC units gain, if the city has an EC.
To reproduce with the attached save(s):
1. Load first save, take Boston, get a HC and return it to original founder America
2. Continue the game for a couple of rounds and Boston will quickly become indepent again (alternatively, load my second save)
3. Either in the continued game or with my 2nd save, take Boston again and get a HC unit again