If the ingition switch was indeed off when the tail light illuminated when the battery was connected means you may have a short.
It is not unusual for the old headlights, horn and starter not to work on the vintage Honda's that have been stored for years. The extra voltage supplied by the car battery may have been just enough to breath a moments life back into the old electrical componants before their final and permenant demise.
I would pull the wiring harness out of the bike and unrap the bundle. Look for melted wires. You can find good used harnesses on ebay if you cannot make repairs. You may not have hurt the starter as the old motors can be locked up with rust and/or the brushes are gone. While your at it, pull the coil and look for any melted wax drips. If drips are found then replace the coil. These old bikes are fun to ride. The extra effort to get them going is worth it.
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