Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Macdonald akanyoresa muThe Queen's Own Rifles of Canada musi wa13 October 1868 seRifleman. Akapedza zhizha ra1866 ne14th Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles pedyo neCornwall, achitarisira kupinda kwevaFenian
. Akasimuka kusvika pachinzvimbo cheSgt asati apiwa basa seEnsign musi wa22 Kubvumbi 1870. Macdonald akabva abatana neboka raColonel Garnet Joseph Wolseley ndokufamba rwendo rwokuenda kunogara kuRed River muManitoba. Rwendo rweWolseley rwakaumbwa kuti rudzvinyirire Kumukira kwaLouis Riel kweRwizi Rutsvuku. Mushure mekutora chikamu mukutora kusina ropa kweUpper Fort Garry (mushure mekubva kwaRiel) akadzokera kuToronto, asi aizotora chikamu mukudzvinyirira kupandukira kwaRiel kwechipiri. Akasiya basa kubva kuQOR musi wa 26 Kubvumbi 1882 ndokuenda kuWinnipeg. Munguva yekumukira kweNorth-West muna 1885, Macdonald akashanda semutevedzeri mu90th (Winnipeg) Battalion yeRifles, chikwata chaakabatsira kuronga. Gare gare akarwa paFish Creek muSaskatchewan.